The Indian Express           11.12.2013

BMC begins razing its 40-year-old Byculla building

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) began the demolition process for one of its buildings in the Baburao Jagtap Market, Byculla, Tuesday. The ground-plus-three structure — New 80 Tenements or Building Number 2 — is 40 years old. The dilapidated building houses around 40 families of conservancy workers.

The civic body disconnected water and electricity supply for the building. Close to 170 officials from the civic body and around 200 personnel from the Agripada police station were present at the site. The demolition process started around 12.30 pm.

"We had sent a notice to the residents and provided them alternative accommodation at Mahul," said Assistant Municipal Commissioner Sanjog Kabare from E ward.

A structural audit for the building was done in 2010, after which repair works were initiated. However, a recent survey by the planning and development department of the BMC declared the building as dilapidated and dangerous to live in. "As the residents were refusing to leave, we started by disconnecting the water and electricity supply. Further demolition will be undertaken once the residents are re-located to Mahul," Kabare added.

Following the Dockyard Road building collapse, which claimed 61 lives in September, the civic body had decided to carry out structural audits of 86 buildings which house over 6,000 conservancy workers.

Last week, the BMC began the demolition process for four of its own 80-year-old buildings which are part of the BIT Chawl or Mazgaon co-operative housing society. The 1,000 residents of the four buildings were also to be re-located to Mahul.