The city authorities have burned four unlawful storeys of the 16-story Economic House in Chinchbunder, Dongri, in the previous two months, with the remaining eight illegal floors set to be demolished after Navratri. The case comes after a protracted fight between the building’s tenants and the ‘B’ ward of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which claims that 12 unauthorised levels were built during the Covid-19 epidemic. Each storey houses seven one-room/kitchen flats, with commercial premises on the ground floor.
Since 2019, the BMC has been at odds with the occupants of Economic House. “We plastered banners outside the building warning people not to rent or buy rooms there because the floors were unlawfully built. There has been no registration of tenants who have occupied unauthorised floors to yet. There were numerous cases filed, and stay orders were lifted several times, most recently by the supreme court in October 2023,” claimed the civic official.
The high court dismissed an appeal against an order issued by the City Civil Court that declined to award a temporary injunction against the BMC for initiating action against the illegal building.
On 20 July 2019, the petitioner, a block resident, filed a challenge to the BMC’s notice issued under Section 354A of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888. The BMC notification indicated the unlawful building of reinforced cement concrete (RCC) columns over the fourth story. Despite repeated attempts by ‘B’ ward to destroy these and other structures, a total of 12 storeys were constructed. They were built while the petitioner benefited from interim orders given by lower courts, which halted demolition.
The high court denied the petitioner’s request for relief and ordered the immediate removal of the building’s illegal components. The plaintiff was also ordered to pay ₹10 lakh as exemplary costs for demolition. The court also denied the petitioner’s plea for interim relief, citing an evident abuse of the judicial process.
A senior civic official stated that because the Dongri police would be unable to send troops to protect a demolition crew during the Navratri celebration, the ‘B’ ward will conduct additional demolitions after Navratri.
Source: Hindustan Times
