Mumbai: Even after four years since 32 people lost their lives in Ambedkar Nagar, Malad, after a retaining wall collapsed, residents of the area are still awaiting permanent accommodation. The period of temporary houses allotted to them by the BMC will expire on September 30. So the residents have now requested the BMC to extend their stay for one year.
Temporary Housing Challenges
Around 84 families were allotted flats in project-affected people (PAP) buildings in Mahul, while 73 of them were alloted houses in Appa pada in Malad east. Since the houses were on forest land, the BMC could only provide temporary accommodation. So the delegates of worried residents along with local ex- corporator Vinod Mishra recently met Kiran Dighavkar, assistant municipal commissioner of P North ward.
Local Demands
Vinod Mishra, local ex -corporator said, "The residents staying at Mahul are facing inconvenience. All the residents must be permanently rehabilitated in Malad itself. We have requested the BMC to extend their period of current accommodation till they are alloted a permanent one." However, the civic sources said that the slum was residing on forest land and BMC could only make temporary arrangements on request of the forest department.
Anish Yadav, a resident of Appa Pada said, "We were homeless after that tragedy. Last year we finally got a house in Appa pada. But we will have to vacate it in the next 10 days, so we want the BMC to allow us to stay till the time the forest department make arrangements for us." However, an official from P North ward said, "A proposal will be sent to municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal to extend the period of accommodation in BMC's PAP for 73 families. Further decisions will be taken after his approval," said a senior civic official of P North ward.
The Malad wall-collapse incident
A huge retaining wall dividing BMC’s water reservoir and hill slope collapsed at Ambedkar Nagar and Pimpari Pada in Kurar at Malad east during heavy rainfall on mid-night of July 2, 2019. As per the sources, the BMC had spent ₹21 crore on building the 2.3km long, 15-ft tall wall around its reservoir. It collapsed within two years of construction. Vinod Mishra said, "BMC has approved the proposal to construct the retaining wall but it is yet to complete the work." Kiran Dighavkar, assistant municipal commissioner, said that he would have to check for the details.
In December 2019, the nine-member technical investigation committee in its report stated that heavy rainfall coupled with holes blocked by hutment dwellers resulted in the mishap. It also recommended that at Malad reservoir, on the upstream side of the storm water drain, the slope should be properly stabilized to avoid localised landslides.
