Dockyard Road collapse: Despite notice,residents yet to vacate adjacent building

The Babu Genu Market Building 1 houses two civic schools — an Urdu medium and a Tamil medium on the first and second floors of the building — in which 600 children study. The children from the schools have been shifted to Byculla. Five families residing in the building have been shifted to Ghatkopar.

“The residents and the school were relocated but we haven’t been given any other location. Where will we go?” said Anita Nakua,a fish vendor.

The ground floor houses 128 shops. The shopkeepers have asked for an alternative location in the vicinity. “There is fear in the mind of customers. Many have stopped visiting this area after the collapse. We will face more losses if we are not shifted to a nearby location,” Nakua added.

“I have been working at this market for 20 years and have five shops here. If they are going to relocate us,they should give me an area as big as this one,” said Umair Khan,a meat shop owner.

“The structural audit has proved that the building is in a dangerous condition. As far as relocation is concerned,the markets department will come up with an alternative location in a couple of days,” said Manisha Mhaiskar,Additional Municipal Commissioner.