Mumbai: Day after cave-in, 45 families return to evacuated building

Meanwhile, the residents plan to approach either IIT Mumbai or VJTI to seek assistance with a geotechnical survey of the building. The residents claim that the builder failed to conduct a geotechnical survey despite the building being built on marshy land.

“After speaking to a few experts in the aftermath of Monday’s incident, we have learnt that there is a need to conduct a geotechnical survey. With the builder showing no interest in ensuring our safety, we have decided to approach either IIT Mumbai or VJTI for the same. We will soon write to them after holding a meeting,” said Ashwin Deshmukh, a resident of the building.

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The resident also alleged that on Tuesday despite the BMC issuing a notice of stop work order to the builder, Dosti Realty Ltd, work on the pit didn’t stop. “We had to record a video and show it to the BMC officials to make them believe that their order was being violated. It was only after we gave proof that the civic official intervened and stopped the work at the site,” added Deshmukh.

“As we live in the D-wing that is precariously close to the landslip, on Monday we decided to vacate the premises and were living with our relatives.. However, on Tuesday afternoon, the society members posted the certificate issued by the structural engineer on our common WhatsApp group that certified the building as safe and hence we returned,” said a resident who did not wish to be named. Meanwhile, two more cars were extracted from the pit on Tuesday and two more are still stuck in the muck.

A statement issued by the society said, “The Wadala Heights Society is moving legally to seek assurance of the safety and structural integrity of the entire area including the Wadala Heights property and to ensure that Dosti Realty does not resume operations at the adjoining site which precipitated the incident of 25th June. The society is looking at this assessment to be certified by a competent independent agency, and furthermore seek compensation and damages from Dosti Realty and hold them accountable.”

Dosti Realty Ltd also issued a statement, claiming it was carrying out remedial work. “We are carrying out remedial measures as suggested by the court commissioner Shantilal Jain and accordingly, the work of backfilling and concretisation at the caved in portion is going on under the supervision of our consultants and engineers. On account of natural slope and gravity, certain amount of backfilling is resettling, which is normal and part of the process. Since the matter is sub-judice, we would refrain from commenting any further.”