Around 70 per cent of the residents of the four wings of Mirani Nagar on Ganesh Gawde Road in Mulund West have left. The rest continue to risk their lives and stay there despite the complex being listed by the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) under the C1 category (highly dangerous buildings).
The ground plus two storey housing complex comprises four wings -Arunoday (wing A), Brahmajyoti (wing B), Chandrajyoti (wing C) and Divyajyoti (wing D) with around 180 flats and 60 shops. The building was built in 1942. BMC had first issued a notice, listing the building under the C1 category, in 2018. This week, it issued a notice again to all the residents and informed them to vacate the premises.
Dipesh Sejpal 42, a resident of Brahmajyoti and a real estate agent who was born and raised in the complex, said, "The notice first came in 2018 and again this week. However, many issues need to be addressed. In 2018, we filed a suit in the High Court against the BMC and said that the building should not be in the C1 category. However, the matter is pending in court. The court should fasttrack such cases. It will save lives before any untoward incident takes place.”
A shopkeeper in one of the wings said the residents and the landlord had several meetings to discuss redevelopment. However, they were inconclusive. "The landlord wants people to vacate and is not ready to pay rent. How can we leave the flats or shops? We can't get a shop at a low rent in Mulund. Our business will have to stop for four years or more till the building is redeveloped," he said.
Dharmesh Mirani, the landlord, said the housing complex was constructed in 1942 and is 80 years old. "We have already informed the tenants to vacate the flats. Around 70 per cent of the residents who could afford the rent have already vacated. The remaining were informed that they will be held responsible if anything happens," said Mirani.
He added, "At present, there is no option for a redevelopment plan from the authorities. We have filed a suit in the court. Also, the tenants pay us only Rs 40 as rent. Commercial units pay Rs 900 to Rs 1000 rent and need all the facilities. What can we do in such a situation?"
Kishore Gandhi, assistant municipal commissioner, T ward, said, "We follow the procedure and request residents to vacate. In this complex, the residents have carried out a structural audit again. They have moved court and claimed that the building is fit to stay in."
