Over 70 families who were affected by a wall collapse in Kurar village that killed 31 persons in 2019 are on a dharna for the past 45 days. These people are demanding rehabilitation to a safer location. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is yet to begin work on the new wall. The families are still at the same spot in Malad where the retaining wall had crashed and killed neighbours during heavy rains.
Officials said that 86 families were allotted flats at project-affected people (PAP) buildings in Mahul. However, 75 are still living in danger. “It is like a death trap and we live in fear. Only homes that were completely crushed or homes where people died were given new places in Mahul. There are still 75 families still living here. We don’t know when we will die. BMC and the government must provide us accommodation,” said Tej Pratap Tripathi, who lives at Azad Nagar slum.
Vinod Mishra, a BJP corporator, said that he had urged the BMC and the forest department for rehabilitation. The purpose is to move the remaining slum-dwellers to safer locations and rebuild the wall. “The BMC’s hydraulic engineering department cleared a proposal to reconstruct the wall this week. But work is yet to begin. Residents must be shited to safer locations and the wall must be reconstructed,” Mishra said.
Only when it rains heavily are the families moved to the nearby Parekh Nagar municipal school. “They must be permanently rehabilitated in Malad itself, and not treated like cattle. Leader of Opposition Praveen Darekar has sought a meeting with all departments concerned,” Mishra said.
Soon after the incident, Civic Chief Praveen Pardeshi had appointed experts from non-government and formed an organisation to look into lapses. Portions of the wall that had begun to tilt were razed.
Despite the BMC spending Rs 21 crore to build the 2.3 km long and 15-ft tall wall around its reservoir, it collapsed within two years of construction. In December 2019, the panel investigating the incident had not held anyone accountable. In its report, the nine-member technical investigation committee stated that heavy rainfall coupled with holes blocked by hutment dwellers resulted in the mishap. But the committee recommended that the slope at the Malad reservoir on the upstream side of the stormwater drain should be properly stabilised to avoid localised landslides. The topography of plots/properties owned by the BMC shall be ascertained by the department concerned and, if required, slope stabilisation shall be carried out to avoid a mishap.
According to the forest department officials, 86 families were allotted flats in Mahul but eight eligible families could not be moved to Mahul due to High Court orders barring new allotment of flats at Mahul for PAPs. Some allotted the flats refused to move to Mahul. The forest department had requested the BMC to allot flats in other PAP buildings for the eight families.
Note: The article was originally published here.