Bombay High Court Addresses Illegal Construction Carried Out Across the MMR

The illegal constructions carried out all across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region have been addressed by the Bombay High Court on Tuesday with smartly criticizing the policies made by the Maharashtra Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) that permitted such buildings to be constructed. The tenements which were built before January 1st, 2000, and the height is not more than 14 feet these fall under the protection against demolition and eviction of slum residents, stated the High Court bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Darra and Justice GS Kulkarni. 

 

Justice Kulkarni stated “it can only happen in Mumbai where that one intrudes in the government land and free housing is given in return. I asked the Chief Justice if policies like these have existed in West Bengal and the answer I received was a straightforward no” The incident which took place on June 09, where a residential complex in Malwani fell taking the lives of four adults and eight children was the outcome of “pure selfishness” said the bench. 

 

When a judicial inquiry was made into the Malwani case, the report said that the building was supposed to be ground plus one structure, the developer illegally added more floors to the building. “Most of the slums in Mumbai city construct additional floors illegally, the slums are creating a problem but they are also important for the working of the city. Even if the allowance of the group plus one floor is given, then it would need to put a pause to further floors to protect incidents of falling.” the counsel for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Aspi Chinoy said. The bench responding to this said that “just for the fact that people do not have a shelter, they cannot risk their lives and stay in illegal structure. People who work should not be compelled to live in illegal structures”