Mumbai Building Collapse: Kesarbai Building was not listed unsafe by BMC, shows RTI

RTI activist Shakeel Ahmad Sheikh claimed that the collapsed Kesarbai Building was mysteriously omitted from the list of 499 "dangerous" building prepared by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

An RTI filed by him revealed no inclusion in the BMC's list of the 100-year-old dilapidated building which now lay in ruins after its collapse on Tuesday.

The BMC had declared 499 buildings in C1 Category for the year 2019-20.

The Corporation had informed the Bombay High Court on 23rd June, 2014 that it intends to conduct its own independent inspection and assessment with the help of the Engineers of their Department of dilapidated buildings that are too dangerous to stand and carry out a survey of such building(s).

This will be done every year before the onset of monsoon rains in the city and the list will be in public domain on the Corporation's website.

The buildings on the list will have their electricity, gas and water supply connections cut and errant occupants refusing to empty the structures will be dealt with reasonably necessary use of help of police force.

"The BMC, as per the directions of the Bombay High Court, had compiled the list of the dilapidated buildings, which we secured through an RTI reply. Shockingly, Kesarbai Building's name is not mentioned anywhere in the list," Shakeel Ahmed Sheikh told IANS. According to him, more deaths have happened due to building collapse in Mumbai than terror incidents. In this context, he wrote a letter to the then Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta and Chief Fire Officer, Prabhat Rahandale, and asked for immediate emergency control. There is a demand for concrete steps and arrangements.

CAUSE OF CONCERN

• An RTI filed by him revealed no inclusion in the BMC’s list of the 100-year-old dilapidated building which now lay in ruins after its collapse on Tuesday

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