Bhayander: Hit by Cyclone Tauktae, homeless residents of crashed building seek MBMC aid

Fortunate of having a narrow escape after a portion of their building crashed due to stormy winds accompanied with heavy rains caused by Cyclone Tauktae, 39 homeless families of the ill-fated Shivam Building in Bhayandar have been running from pillar-to-post seeking help and support from the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) and state government authorities.

On Saturday a delegation of residents led by municipal corporator- Ravi Vyas and Daroga Pandey met MBMC chief- Dilip Dhole and Mayor- Jyotsna Hasnale in this regard. “Apart from compensation for damages in the form of financial assistance and proper transit accommodation, we have also asked the civic administration to issue area assessment certificates to the society members so that they are not deprived of their justified rights when the building is redeveloped. We have also given our assent to divert our local area development funds for disaster relief, ” said Vyas.

“We will try to fulfill the demands one by one and minimize the woes of the affected families as soon as possible.” said Dhole. Shiv Sena legislator- Geeta Jain also met the district collector and the guardian minister seeking a relief package for the families who were rendered homeless due to the natural calamity. The third floor balcony collapsed on the second and first floor leading to debris blocking the staircase and entrance to around 39 flats in the four-storey structure which was nearly three decades old. 36 flats were occupied at the time of incident.

Fortunately, no one was injured, even as 72 trapped residents were safely rescued by the fire brigade personnel. Barely 24 hours after the incident, the MBMC pulled down the entire structure to prevent any untoward incident owing to its rickety state. It has been alleged that the residents were not allowed to remove their belongings as the MBMC hastily razed the structure. The incident has yet again highlighted the rigid Coastal Regulation Zone norms which has made redevelopment of rickety structures next to impossible.