Campa Cola Day 3: Residents still defiant, won't let BMC officers in

On Day Three of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation officials’ attempt to enter Mumbai’s Campa Cola building complex to disconnect power supply and other utilities, residents said their resistance will remain unflagging. [caption id=“attachment_1581141” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Campa Cola residents block the entrance for the BMC officials as they arrive to disconnect the water and electricity supply of the society, in Mumbai on Friday. PTI[/caption] On Friday and Saturday, residents had blocked the entry of officials into the compound of the buildings that have between them nearly 100 illegal flats whose demolition has been ordered by the Supreme Court after a long litigation. In November 2013, residents had undertaken to voluntarily vacate their homes after a xis-month extension of deadline on humanitarian grounds, though they had added that they would continue to seek legal recourse. On Friday, residents had even conducted a havan in the premises in an attempt to keep officers out. The BMC has now filed a police compliant against the residents for obstructing them from discharging their duty. A resident told ANI, “We are standing here for our rights. Until we get justice we won’t go from here. Pressure on our minds is that what will happen now. What will they do to us next? We are under stress about that when will they give us justice. We are sitting here hungry.” Seven buildings built on the Campa Cola plot in Worli between 1981 and 1989 had permission for only six floors each, but saw construction of as many as 102 illegal flats in the multi-storey buildings. Meanwhile, a report in The Hindustan Times suggested that the residents may be preparing a fresh plan with a developer in a bid to save their homes. The plan involves a deal with Krishna Developers, owner of part of the land on which the now defunct Pure Drinks Ltd plant stands. The plan could be presented to the Supreme Court, a resident is quoted as having said.