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Farida Shaikh
MUMBAI, AUGUST 8: We tremble with fear every time it starts pouring. The entire family moves towards the kitchen, as far away as possible from the balcony. And when it rains heavily, all the families gather at one place so that we can die together when the building collapses,'' says 75-year-old Sitabai Sarvankar, a resident of Dayalji Velji Chawl located at Saatrasta in `E' ward.
For the last four years, residents of the 95-year-old chawl have been living life on the edge they fear treading on the narrow balcony which threatens to give way any moment. The whole building housing 20 families can collapse any time, according to a warning by the Mumbai Building Repairs & Reconstruction Board, a division of MHADA. The story repeats itself in most of the 20 other buildings listed as `dangerous' by the board this year.
The residents here are, however, refusing to move out because of a suit against their landlord and a hotel owner on the ground floor pending in the City Civil Court, the next hearing for which isslated for August 12. The MHADA is also a party in the case.
The Dayalji Velji Chawl is cracking on all sides and parts of the ground floor and staircase are under water. If it does not collapse, it can get caught in a fire because of the hotel's kitchen and exposed wires inside the building.
On February 16, '95, the Repairs Board had ordered complete demolition of the building. Interestingly, however, the next year it slapped a notice on the walls of the chawl asking only the tenants of the first and second floor to move out, since the building had been identified as `dangerous' during a pre-monsoon survey. No such notice was served to the ground floor inhabitants, which include a hotel and a few shops.
``It is exactly this volte face that we are opposing. We had no problem moving out if the whole building was being demolished. In that case, we would have been sure of returning home even if it took several months to construct a new building. But the very fact that the ground floor will remain intacteven though its condition is as bad as ours proves that the hotel owner and landlord have connived with MHADA,'' alleges Sharad Kumar Mestry, a tenant. ``Look at that shop there,'' he points across the road. ``The top floor was demolished 20 years ago and the inmates sent to transit camps. They have still not returned as no construction took place.''
He adds: ``Our building was partially repaired in '76, '89 and then in '90. When we approached MHADA after that, we were told they couldn't undertake repairs because of pending taxes. Our landlord had not paid taxes and cess from '84 onwards. We wanted a complete demolition, so MHADA advised us to file an application under Section (103) B which allows tenants of a dilapidated building to form a society so that they can return to the same site once the building is reconstructed. We managed to get the demolition order after completing all formalities, but with several officials transferred, we are back to square one.''
Residents allege that in the last fouryears they have been threatened by MHADA officials, police and local goons. On May 3, '97, a part of the building was set on fire, they said. ``Though the fire occurred in the afternoon, all the shops and the hotel had downed their shutters before it began. Our water connection has been cut and drunks have entered the building, abused and beaten us up. When we attend court hearings, the opposite party arrives there with local goondas and mobiles. They have tried all tactics which terrorise most middle class people,'' residents alleged.
MHADA officials denied the allegations, saying most people are wary of living in transit camps since it becomes a problem getting an extension after six months. MHADA does not specify a time limit for reconstruction, and admit conditions at transit camps are very poor. Says an official: ``The fact is that transit camps are as bad or even worse than the dilapidated buildings. People have been living there for years, sometimes with no water or electricity. That's why theycontinue to live in their ramshackled houses and die there instead of being treated as homeless for the rest of their lives.''
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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