Chawl residents yet to receive alternate accommodation

“The re-developer has promised us a transit flat for a month during which he has promised to rebuild the chawl,” said Milind Khandare, a chawl resident.

Mithalal Jain from Vaibhav developers said, “We are looking for places where we can shift the residents. We will start chawl construction from Tuesday and make proper brick structure.”
For now, residents have been given accommodation and food in the Lions Club premises, and in Aakash and SaiBaba Apartments, the neighbouring buildings.

Of the four injured, who were admitted to V N Desai hospital, Sitabai Kesarkar (60) is  to undergo an orthopaedic surgery, and Satyan Sridharan (39) has been moved to a private hospital for further treatment. According to hospital officials, the other two patients are stable and will be discharged in the next couple of days.

Catherine Chawl Welfare Association secretary Bharat Khandare said, “For the last two years, we had repeatedly written letters to the authorities, including the state government, BMC and Mumbai Police, about the dilapidated condition of the building. But nothing was done.”

(With inputs from Rohit Alok)