MHADA, the owner of the huge expanse of land in Goregaon's Motilal Nagar where a house collapsed on Sunday, is mulling sending notices to other residents of the area who have illegally started to add storeys to their homes.
The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority officials who were at the site said the owner of the house, who had bought three row houses and was reconstructing them as one, had not informed the authority of the reconstruction. They said that of the 1,000 residents in Motilal Nagar, nearly 95 per cent have expanded their homes without authorisation, and they are being inspected.
The single-storey row house which caved in, burying three, is an example of the rampant illegal expansion at a bulk of houses in the area.
"We did not get any intimation of the redevelopment undertaken by the owner of the fallen house. We are digging up the details. We will now start a drive against illegal construction. If needed, we will send notices seeking to know if the home owners have permits to expand," said Sanjay Bhagwat, joint chief officer, MHADA's Mumbai Board, said after the site visit.
The area was developed by MHADA after 1949. A few years ago, the conveyance deed was transferred.
"Even if the conveyance deed procedure is complete, the residents still need to inform us before redoing houses. They are owners of the house but the plot remains with MHADA. We had only given permissions for 250-sq-ft houses," said an official.
The illegal activity is rampant as residents have built extensions both on the front and back of these row houses, on as much as 600-700 sq ft of carpet area. Rooms have also been built in the basement and two storeys above ground level. Since the structures are old, haywire construction could be perilous.
MHADA will float a tender for redevelopment of homes in Motilal Nagar by February.
REVAMP PLAN
On December 23, DNA reported on MHADA’s redevelopment plans for Motilal Nagar (‘MHADA set to build 18,000 homes in Goregaon’). The locality, spread over 142 acres, has 3,700 tenants. Some 18L sq ft of land is needed to rehabilitate the people and build 18K homes which will be sold in the open market.
RAISED ILLEGITIMATELY
Authorities say Motilal Nagar is home to rampant illegal expansion
- 1,000 – Number of residents in Motilal Nagar, Goregaon
- 250 – Square footage permitted by MHADA for row houses in area
- 700 – Square footage up to which MHADA says houses expanded
