From Mumbra to Nehru Nagar: Why the answer lies in honest officials

The collapse of an illegal under-construction building in Thane’s Mumbra suburb, killing 72 persons, has unleashed a programme of demolitions across the metropolitan region around Mumbai as if the civic bodies have suddenly realised that they do have illegal buildings within their jurisdictions. There is a sudden epidemic of demolition announcements and we don’t even know how long this will be sustained. It is hardly likely, however, to solve the problem of illegalities in the huge real estate business. It would, instead, end up dis-housing people, bringing about half the population, perhaps even more, on to the streets. For, the region is rife with illegal constructions. The ‘illegal constructions’ include irregularities like a room extended into a balcony or a flower bed. Slums and multi-storeyed buildings when included, the constructions house nearly as much or even more than the metro region’s population. [caption id=“attachment_694687” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Could this have been prevented? PTI[/caption] This prescription has not worked so far because it lets off those who are responsible. Each time a building collapsed, builders, civic staff, policemen, and politicians are blamed. And even if demolitions do take place, there remains a backlog of buildings that should invite the attention of the wrecking crews, but do not. The enormity of the size of the civic-body created problem can be best judged by the mindboggling numbers of illegal structures: -  Within the municipal limits of Mumbai, as many as 18,309 residential, 11,227 commercial and 30,272 slum shanties were demolished between 2000 and 2012. These numbers are only a tip of the iceberg. - Thane, neighbouring the metropolis, has 5,342 unauthorised buildings of which 1,866 are in Mumbra. They do not include the slum dwellings, which by the civic body’s own admission, have 40 per cent of the population living in them. - Kalyan and Dombivali have 4,000 multi-storeyed buildings including towers, and several slum dwellings totalling 78,000 structures. - At one time, Mira-Bhayandar’s civic corporation had cautioned buyers of flats that nearly 70 percent of buildings in its jurisdiction were illegal. A twice demolished storeyed building was rebuilt, showing the impunity the industry exercises. - As many as 650 buildings in Navi Mumbai are illegal with the builders stealing upto 40 percent or more extra space by contravening FSI norms. Navi Mumbai has about a third of its population in slums. It is indicative of failure of demolitions as a deterrent. A 14-minute sting telecast on Wednesday by ABP Majha, a Marathi news channel showed how 35 policemen – basically the entire staff of the Nehru Nagar Police Station - made a beeline, brazenly asked and took bribes from citizens, wrote down names, ranks, cell numbers, and even the sums they took, only to be caught on a spycam by the victim’s son. With smiles they haggled, without a sign of intimidation, all of which should make clear that in such underbellies of a city, illegal constructions are rife and that pay-offs are normal. Apparently everyone does it and this was done on a street. As the victim’s son told the Indian Express, civic officials also give oral permissions and once built, queue up for bribes. [caption id=“attachment_694694” align=“alignright” width=“380”]  Cops caught on tape taking bribes. Image courtesy: ibnlive[/caption] Look at the cops as a metaphor for civic officials and politicians, and perhaps the local goons who are called ‘social workers’, pampered by politicians as their foot soldiers, and in these cases as hit men, and you know why illegal constructions of all types, ranging from slums to even mansions, have mushroomed across the region. The ‘buyers beware’ caution does apply for the customer who is getting the property ‘as is’, but does shield him against fraud which every illegal property patently is. But the system as is protects the coalition of fraudsters,  comprising of everyone except the buyer. The civic official makes his pile, the builder is nowhere on the scene. The buyer is the only one who takes the beating. Unless this tribe is checked, the situation will not change in the least. The focus ought to be on working backwards to the files in the civic bodies and ferret out the culpable officials – minions onwards – who had a hand in any illegal construction and punish them. While this would be opposed as being a witch hunt, it would be easier than demolitions and merely involves proper inspection of files, without stirring out of the offices. A file is sufficient medicine for this urban malaise but it requires honest officers. Officers, who should have made sure the Mumbra’s building was aborted at the plinth stage instead of allowing it to rise to seven storeys and then collapse. Once the fraudsters, who obviously abound, going by the sheer numbers of illegal constructions of both apartment blocks and slums, are found out and severely punished, the message will go out and the pace of such constructions would at least ebb. It has to be proven that town planning assignments in civic bodies are no money-spinners, which would force the builders to work by the rules. A nemesis has to be found by getting hold of the rare breed of honest officers who can also keep politicians with personal and vested interests at bay, but find the larger political establishment’s support. There is no other way.