Mumbai: Fear, fraud, sentiment keep families in dangerous buildings

With plaster peeling and ceilings collapsing in Mumbairsquos centuryold cess buildings midday sought to understand why residents choose to remain in these deteriorating structures despite the risks During visits to several such buildings three key concerns emerged uncertainty about the duration of transit accommodation fear of being defrauded by developers and deep emotional ties to homes passed down through generationsTejukaya Building Ganesh GullySituated in Ganesh Gully Lalbaug the 90yearold Tejukaya Building is in a dire state with multiple slabs precariously supported by bamboo poles Lakshmi Apker 70 a resident for over 35 years said ldquoI live on the third floor Due to a knee condition I can walk but cannot climb stairs and the building has no lift Our fourth generation is now living here On the day of the Assembly elections a slab fell off We informed MHADA immediately and they came and installed bamboo supportsrdquoResidents live in cramped up conditions and share toilets PICSSAYYED SAMEER ABEDIWhen asked why she was hesitant to leave for redevelopment she said ldquoIrsquove lived here for 35 years Therersquos no guarantee that the developer will complete the project on time Who knows how long wersquoll have to stay in transit campsrdquo Pallavi Savji 71 another resident of 36 years faces similar struggles ldquoI had knee surgery yet I climb three floors daily to fetch water The motor never pushes water to the third floorrdquo she saidHer primary concern is trust in the developer ldquoI have no issue shifting elsewhere but what if the developer deceives us Many of us arenrsquot literate enough to understand legalities MHADA should appoint a developer and monitor them closely to ensure we are not defraudedrdquoKrantinagar GirgaonBuilt in 1897 the 128yearold Krantinagar Building is partially held up by bamboo supports while residents maintain the rest through regular upkeep Anant Sadvelkar 64 said ldquoWersquore not against development but dishonest developers can leave projects incomplete Irsquove seen families stuck in transit camps for over 40 yearsmdashparents have passed away and their children are still waiting for redevelopment Thatrsquos what people fearrdquoHe suggested a solution ldquoIf MHADA appoints a developer they can oversee the project and ensure itrsquos completed Better yet MHADA should develop the properties themselves hiring developers as contractors If MHADA cannot act for the publicrsquos benefit whatrsquos the point of the authority Many projects are stalled because of them If this continues we residents will eventually lock up their offices in protest Theyrsquove made selfredevelopment so difficult that we have no alternativerdquoUnion Mansion Dadar EastLocated on Dr Ambedkar Road Hindmata Dadar East Union Mansion built in 1935 is in relatively better condition due to repairs carried out by MHADA two years ago Kamlakar Jadhav 70 said ldquoThese buildings have been repaired nine times weakening the structure I live on the third floor and climbing the stairs has become difficult with agerdquoThe 1935 Union Mansion building is in slightly better condition because of repairs PICPRASUN CHOUDHARIHe added ldquoClimbing is just one issue We share common toilets even during the COVID19 pandemic The rooms are tiny and redevelopment comes with no timeline guarantee Moreover wersquove lived here for generations and share a bond with our neighbours We canrsquot just wake up one day and move elsewhererdquoBhagyoday Building Ganesh GullyBhagyoday Building is part of a 16building cluster in Ganesh Gully awaiting redevelopment According to residents it is 90 years old Jitesh Kadane a resident for 35 years said ldquoThis is the second generation living here If these buildings are redeveloped individually we wonrsquot get much space because the developer will have limited floor space index FSI The project is stuck due to litigation The previous developer went bankrupt and since then no one is willing to take it up We arenrsquot against redevelopment but most of us canrsquot afford alternative housing Given the current condition selling these rooms isnrsquot an option eitherrdquoActivists speakVinita Rane secretary of Pagdi Ekta Sangha highlighted delays caused by MHADArsquos flawed implementation of Section 79 of the MHADA Act She said ldquoAfter an audit cess buildings in Mumbai receive a 79A notice giving owners six months to begin redevelopment If they fail tenants receive a 79B notice granting them another six months If they also fail a 79C notice allows MHADA to acquire the building for redevelopmentrdquoAerial view of the 90 years old Bhagyoday Building a cluster of 16 buildingsldquoIn February 2023 MHADA issued 79A notices to 13800 buildings including both cess and noncess buildingsmdashdespite the law applying only to cess buildings Many owners took this to court Now 400 buildings are stuck in legal battles Only nine have submitted proposals to MHADA and even those are still pendingrdquoAuthorities speakmidday contacted MHADArsquos public relations officer to obtain data on 79B and 79C notices and the number of buildings acquired for redevelopment The PRO said ldquoWe have issued 79B notices where owners failed to start redevelopment Irsquom currently not in the office so I canrsquot provide exact numbersrdquo A WhatsApp request for data remained unanswered at the time of pressSimilarly calls and messages to Milind Shambharkar of the Mumbai Building Repairs and Reconstruction Board MHADA went unanswered Ravindra Ambulgekar chief fire officer of the Municipal Fire Brigade warned about fire hazards in these ageing buildings ldquoThe primary cause of fires is electrical short circuits Naturally the wiring in centuryold structures is outdatedmdashhanging loose with old meters If a fire breaks out these buildings already weak can collapse They also lack sprinkler systems and fire extinguishersrdquo