Buildings don't tell you when they'll collapse: Bombay high court

Buildings don't tell you when they'll collapse: Bombay high court

MUMBAI: Dilapidated buildings don't tell when they will collapse, observed the Bombay high court on Wednesday while asking a section of residents of a building in Lower Parel why they have refused to vacate it. A division bench of Justice V M Kanade and Justice M S Sonak heard a petition by Hare Krishna Builders alleging inaction by Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) to evict the non-cooperating tenants of a 90-year-old dilapidated building, which is likely to collapse. The petition said while 70 per cent tenants of Deen Building had vacated the premises, 39 tenants were not cooperating with the builder. The court had earlier directed Mhada to hear the developer and the non-cooperating tenants. On Wednesday, Mhada advocate told the court that the hearing was complete and an order had been passed. But he sought time saying its joint chief officer of the repair board was not available. The 39 tenants intervened saying they wished to be heard in the matter. The judges questioned why they were not vacating the building. They also referred to the Kalwa building crash on November 18 saying it was a "fortunate" escape because of a vigilant resident. "All the tenants were saved because of an alert tenant who came home late. In such cases the building is not going to tell when it will collapse," remarked Justice Kanade. The court was informed by the advocate of the 39 tenants that the developer did not comply with condition of intimation of disapproval and did not construct the post office which was supposed to come up on the plot. "You are not worried about your life but of the post office," said Justice Kanade. The judges said all issues would be examined in their entirety and adjourned the hearing toDecember 3.

Source: The Times of India