Mhada blames BMC for collapse

The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) in its preliminary report into the collapse of the 100-year-old Gulmohar building in Kamathipura, which killed six people, has washed its hands of responsibility for the incident.

Terming the collapse “an accident”, it asserted that the excavation work on the existing road in front of the building by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) which caused vibrations may have been a probable reason for the building giving in.

While the Mhada has blamed the BMC’s road works in the nearby area as the cause of the collapse, the BMC officials claimed that the civic body had already submitted the list of buildings which needed immediate repairs in Kamathipura back in May 2015 — which included the Gulmohar building. However, the Mhada defended itself by saying that it started carrying out repair work of the building in April 2016, before the collapse.

“I have staff crunch in my ward where only two deputy engineers are looking after the 1,700 buildings, which come under the E ward of Mhada. It is not possible for two engineers to pay attention to so many buildings,” said a senior Mhada official, requesting anonymity.

Six people were killed and two grievously injured when a three-storey building collapsed in Kamathipura area of Grant Road on April 30.

The preliminary report on the building collapse further states that the collapse is only an accident and that such incidents cannot be predicted due to the ageing factor of the building and hidden distresses may take place inside the building, which cannot be ascertained by visual inspection. There was a sudden collapse without showing any sign of distress and in view of above aspects, the collapse of the building is an accident, the report said.

Responding to Mhada’s report blaming the BMC, a senior BMC official said the Mhada’s claim could be considered only when there is a technical report on the cause of the collapse claiming that vibration is one of the reasons behind the collapse.