Four on building collapse blame list

MUMBAI: On Tuesday morning Chief Minister Vilas Deshmukh visited the site of the four-storey Sadaf building that collapsed at 1:30am killing 11. He promised to take action against those responsible by evening.

The building which collapsed was not on Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority's dangerous buildings list. In fact, after repairs in 2003 it was declared habitable. Clearly, someone was not careful enough and a lapse caused 16 families to lose their loved ones and their homes. Yet, twenty-four hours later, the state is yet to take action.

DNA has found that MHADA has identified four people responsible for the faulty repairs of Sadaf building. These four people are: NG Mahajan, Executive Engineer with the Mumbai Repair and Reconstruction Board (MRRB) in E-ward for the past 2-3 years, contractor BS Mistry who carried out the most recent repairs in 2003, Mukund Dakshini, the architect who made plans for the three times the building was repaired and a deputy engineer of MRRB in E-ward whose name is yet unknown.

As the senior most government official in charge of cost estimates, complete overview, final approval of bills to the contractor, and the man who finally declared the building safe after the repairs, Mahajan was the man responsible for the lapse.

Senior MHADA officials and a local state legislator confirmed the officials' identity, but MHADA's vice president Sitaram Kunte refused to comment. He said, "In addition to the inquiry initiated by the Public Works Department, I have ordered the Authority's vigilance department to look into the issue. The role played by my employees will become clear.''

Sayyed Ahmed, legislator from Nagpada, where the building was located, and a former housing minister, clearly hinted at Mahajan’s culpability.

"I have transferred this man twice, but he comes back to Byculla division,'' Ahmed said of Mahajan.

Ahmed should know. In MHADA circles, MRRB is considered a very lucrative posting. The MRRB's job is to declare old and dilapidated building as dangerous (and unfit for repairs) by examining their exterior condition.

Though local residents claim the building front side looked weak, MRRB officials have never in the past 100 years declared the building dangerous. Ahmed, who inspected the building during a tour of the area a month ago, confirms this. In the last 15 years, the MRRB also spent Rs11 lakh on repairs, which were however confined to the building's rear portion. On Tuesday, the front portion collapsed like a house of cards, taking the rear with it.

"Not just MHADA, even the BMC officials who were with me then should also be held responsible because they did not tell me that the building was in dangerous condition,'' said Ahmed.

When asked about the failure to declare the building dangerous, Kunte denied the charge. He said. "Most old buildings have wooden columns and beams that contract and expand in the monsoons. The foundations may have become weak, but it is not possible to know this as we do not dig to check the building's structural stability.''

Role played by the infamous

Mahajan's job: Said to be working in the department for the past 3-years, his job is to carry out a survey and identify the structural stability of all cessed buildings. If the building is beyond repairs, he is the person to declare it dangerous. He is also responsible for carrying out repairs, prepares tender documents, approves repair plans submitted by the architect, checks the quality of repairs carried out by the contractor and clearing the bills for payments.

Dakshini's job: He's on the panel of architects drawn up by the reconstruction board of MHADA to undertake repair works. He is the architect for the three times Sadaf building was repaired by MHADA.

Mistry's job: He was the contractor appointed by MRRB when Sadaf building was repaired last in 2003.

Deputy Engineer, MBRRB, E-ward, name unknown: He is also supposed to check the quality of works carried out at the site and maintain data of buildings requiring repairs.