Not one of the civic rules seems to be applying for city’s lawless B ward, where the landlords of old buildings continue to add floors illegally, putting hundreds of lives at risk. These floors aren’t based on roller-compacted concrete but are hanging on iron girders. Both top civic officials and ward officials have been turning a blind eye to this.
In yet another case, which has come to light, construction of the third floor was started in a building on Essaji Street in Masjid Bunder, which was bought by one Meraj Abdul Gaffar, on October 29. And Gaffar managed to finish all the work by Tuesday, the last day of the Diwali holidays for the civic body.
From the photographic evidence, it’s clear that the way the work has been carried out, none of the norms have been followed.
A civic activist from the area said, “Such small-time developers buy old, dilapidated buildings in the area at throwaway prices because the original owners find difficult to maintain the structures.
Usually, when buildings are purchased, they are smaller. Slowly, developers start adding floors.
However, to keep themselves on the safe side of the law, until construction is over and all flats are sold, they seek stay orders or ruling of status quo from the magistrate court. It then becomes a win-win situation for the developers and the civic officials, who are hand in glove with them.”
A resident of the area said, “Building number 45 on Essaji Street has four commercial shops on the ground floor. The first and second floors have 1,200 square-feet residential flats. Construction of the third floor, and the subsequent 1,200 square-feet flat, will earn the developer at least Rs2.5-3 crore.”
At current market prices, a square foot is worth Rs20,000-Rs25,000 in the area.
While assistant commissioner of B ward, Jayant Bansod, was unavailable despite repeated calls and messages, Gaffar said they usually inform the buyers “that a (particular) floor is illegal and they don’t have any papers”.
“Here, prices are not that high as the buildings in question are small. There are several cases in which developers take up projects in areas which are bigger and expensive; most of them go scot-free,” Gaffar added.
When asked if local corporators, politicians, police and civic officials know about this, he refused to comment.
City’s rising danger
The illegal floors added in buildings in B ward aren’t based on roller-compacted concrete but are hanging on iron girders, thereby endangering lives of residents. Both top civic officials and ward officials have been turning a blind eye to this. In yet another case, construction of the third floor was started in a building on Essaji Street in Masjid Bunder, which was bought by one Meraj Gaffar, on October 29. Gaffar managed to finish the work by Tuesday, the last day of Diwali holidays for the BMC.
