Bhendi Bazaar building collapse: SBUT or MHADA, who is to blame for incident in Mumbai?

A five-storeyed residential building in the congested Bhendi Bazar area of south Mumbai collapsed on Thursday, killing at least 13 people and injuring 16, officials said. About 29 people were rescued and 10 to 15 are still feared trapped.

The building, located at Pakmodia Street near JJ Hospital, with 12 rooms, and six godowns on the ground floor, crumbled at around 8.30 am.

A MHADA document reveals that authorities were warned about the building’s dilapidated status in 2011. The observations were made during a pre-monsoon survey six years ago. The warning notice states that some portions of the building were still dilapidated and in dangerous conditions and “may collapse at any moment resulting in loss of life and property.”

The notice recommended that the premises should be evacuated immediately under Chapter 8 of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Act, 1976.

The notice also mentions that if the clauses of the MHADA warning notice were not obeyed, the residents would be “forcibly evicted” with the help of the police and the fire brigade.

The document explicitly mentions that MHADA “will not be responsible for any loss of life and property situated in the said premises… This (eviction) must be brought to the notice of all occupants,” the notice added.

According to Times Now , MHADA had in 2013 given a no-objection certificate to the building for redevelopment but received the letter of intent to begin work on the same only in 2016. Before this development, as mentioned in the 2011 document, the MHADA had sent a “vacation of premises” notice for the building.

Another MHADA document from 27 May, 2016, says that the building in question was part of a cluster redevelopment project and it was given the prerequisite permission for demolition. But despite these developments, residents still lived in the building.

It is reportedly the first large cluster redevelopment project in the city. The building is part of the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (SBUT) cluster development project. The SBUT says that the authorities are “on-ground to provide complete support to families and authorities”.

The Bhendi Bazaar incident is unfortunate. The disaster management team is on-ground to provide complete support to families & authorities.

— SBUT (@SBUT_Mumbai) August 31, 2017

The Times Now report adds that MHADA officials have stated that the “entire onus is with the trust once cluster development starts and that they (MHADA) can only send notices”. However, BMC mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar said that since it was a MHADA building “they are responsible.”

It was a MHADA (Maharashtra Housing &Area Development Authority) building, they are responsible: BMC Mayor on Bhendi Bazar building collapse pic.twitter.com/sVGvdUyIX1

It was a MHADA (Maharashtra Housing &Area Development Authority) building, they are responsible: BMC Mayor on Bhendi Bazar building collapse pic.twitter.com/sVGvdUyIX1

— ANI (@ANI) August 31, 2017

Amid this blame game, it is yet to be concluded who is culpable for the tragedy.

However, advocate Dilip Shah mentions that “the overall liability is significantly higher for developers”.

As of now, the Maharashtra government will conduct an inquiry into the building collapse, state minister Subhash Desai said. A meeting will also be held with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (who also manages the urban development portfolio) to chalk out an action plan to rehabilitate those living in dilapidated buildings. The meeting will hopefully see clearer regulations under the cluster redevelopment policy.

With inputs from agencies

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