BMC cuts power and water supply to C-1 category dilapidated Sindhi Chawl that houses 83 families
Families in Sindhi Colony building no. 1 and 2 at Ram Nagar, Borivli West, are living without power or water since Saturday. Pics/Anurag Ahire
After the four-storey Gitanjali building collapsed in Sai Baba Nagar, the HC directed the demolition of the entire society, which came under C-1 category. BMC has now issued notices to other societies in C-1 category and started disconnecting power supply. This includes Sindhi Chawl, Ram Nagar, in Borivli. Now, 83 families here have no power or water supply.
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On Saturday the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) disconnected the electricity and water supply to the building. Some of the residents, however, said they have got a structural audit done. A senior citizen resident said, “We did a structural audit and submitted a C-2 category report (parts of a building can be repaired), but the BMC is forcing us to vacate the society. We have moved court and the next hearing at Dindoshi court is on August 25. We are also going to submit a letter at BMC office on Monday that we are living in the society at our own risk but provide water and electricity. However, we didn’t get a positive response.”
A 62-year-old resident, Hetal Joshi said, “After Gitanjali building collapsed, the BMC came to our society and disconnected light and water connections on Saturday. BMC had given us a notice in June saying the building was in C-1 category and we decided to get a structural audit done, after which we got a C-2 category report. We showed it to BMC officers but they are not ready to listen to us.”
‘Give us time’
“Our building structure is too strong and only few things are damaged which we will repair. But they are forcing us to vacate it and for past 3 days we are living without light and water. Suddenly where will we go? The rents are from Rs 20,000 for a 1 bhk in our area. We are all middle class families and can’t afford this. We have been taking water from the neighbouring society. Many senior citizen residents have diabetes, BP and other diseases. How will they survive without water and electricity? Most of the people spend their days at in relatives’ places and come home to sleep at nights,” she added.
Residents don’t know how long they will have to live without power and water supply
Another resident, Mangesh Shinde said, “There are so many buildings which are in dilapidated condition but BMC is nothing doing about them. Our society is strong and we love our family members and won’t keep them in such dangerous conditions. We will vacate our flats but we need some time.”
Official speak
R Central ward officer Nivrutti Gondhle said, “We are giving them 1 month notice to vacate the society but they are not ready to vacate it. If any incident happens who will take responsibility? For safety we want this society vacated and so disconnected light and water supply. We also gave a letter to the society asking them to demolish the building. If they won’t demolish society in a week then we will do it. We don’t want to take any risk now. We also disconnected water and electricity to five other societies in Borivli”
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