Mumbai: Two persons were injured after a slab collapsed in a vacant four-storey building in South Mumbai. The collapse occurred after a scaffolding erected for repair work at the Mehkar House building on Shamaldas Junction in Marine Lines fell down along with a canopy at around 8:30am. The injured, Arjun Khan, 26, and Bapun Shaikh, 20, were rushed to the Gokuldas Tejpal Hospital.
Assistant Municipal Commissioner of C ward, Uddhav Chandanshive, stated that the building is a MHADA (Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority) cess building that had faced delays in repair works due to ongoing disputes between the residents and MHADA. MHADA was promptly informed about the incident, and their officers, along with the contractor responsible for the work, were present at the site.
MHADA to take action against those responsible
He said, “MHADA will decide what action should be taken against the people who are responsible for the incident.” He further informed that since the entire building was vacant, the injured individuals were workers, and no residents were present at the time of the incident.
Mumbai houses over 16,000 cess buildings, with many of them located in Dongri, Mohammad Ali Road, Marine lines, and Bhuleshwar areas. Recently, MHADA and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) conducted a joint inspection of cessed buildings in Mumbai. While MHADA grants permission for repairs, the civic body holds authority to take action against illegal constructions. The matter was discussed in a recent meeting between BMC and MHADA.
BMC rules on Dilapidated buildings
Before the arrival of monsoon, civic body officers conduct surveys of dilapidated buildings that are classified into various categories such as most dangerous and dilapidated but can be inhabited after repairs. Buildings that need to be demolished immediately are tagged as C-1 category buildings and stringent measures are taken by the BMC, like disconnecting electricity or water supply, if residents don’t vacate such buildings.
