The Indian Express            13.11.2013

Over 1,253 demolition cases pending with BMC

Of over 3,700 buildings in the city that have been found violating various construction norms under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, and the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966, over 1,253 cases are still pending action from the BMC.

In addition to these, 205 cases are mired in litigation and have court injunctions levied against them. Maximum pendency has been recorded from the K-west ward (Juhu, Vile Parle and Andheri west) with 150 cases, R-central ward (Kandivali and Borivali) with 91 cases, and E-ward (Byculla) with 77 cases. A majority of the injunctions are recorded from H-west ward (Bandra and Khar) with 39 cases, R-central ward (38 cases), and A-ward of Colaba and Fort with 11 cases.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Mohan Adtani, in-charge of the removal of encroachments (RE) department, said, "There isn't a time-frame to complete the demolition drive. Often, court injunctions are sought, causing an indefinitely delay in the matters. Hence, it is not possible to create an action-plan to complete all demolitions within a stipulated time."

A senior official of the RE department said, "We recently issued notices and are still in the process of procuring documents from the respondents." According to BMC's data, 1,831 stop-work orders and 1,094 showcause notices have been served under the MMC Act.

"This is not the final count of the illegal structures in the city, but we can at least say that this is the minimum number of such structures," Adtani said. While BMC claims that 2,015 illegal structures have been demolished, prosecutions have been carried out in only 102 cases, of which 58 cases are from H-west ward (Bandra).