Thursday's fire at Sargam Society in Tilak Nagar, which claimed five lives and left two others injured, has once again turned the spotlight on the large-scale real-estate violations in the eastern suburban township. Spread across a radius of over 5 km, Tilak Nagar, which is nestled in Chembur, today, comprises a population of nearly 25,000-plus families living in 168 high-rise structures. But, what was supposed to be a plush redeveloped residential area for the lower middle-class MHADA families — until 2000, they lived in ground plus two-floor structures here — has now become a hotbed for dubious and illegal constructions.

According to residents, who are on tenterhooks ever since the fire incident, most of the high-rises do not have government/statutory permissions in place. Barring two or three buildings, none of the structures have also obtained an occupation certificate, or other clearances like commencement and building completion certificates, sewage connection, parking facilities, or fire-fighting equipment. The residents are now planning an agitation to ensure that authorities take note of the situation at the earliest.