After HC directive, SRA project near airport faces demolition

After four buildings of 11-floors were constructed between 2010 and 2012, the project ground to a halt following objections to violations of norms by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority, which were highlighted by The Indian Express.

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One of the charges included construction within 100 metres of prohibited area of the airport. Yet another charge levelled related to construction of 11-floor building when the SRA was permitted to construct only four-floor buildings.

The project, after construction of the four 11-floor buildings, came to a standstill after the Indian Air Force issued stop-construction notice to the SRA in 2012. After that, there has no activity at the site, SRA officials said. All the flats, each measuring 269 square feet, remain vacant.

Now, with Bombay High Court ordering demolitions of the buildings coming within the prohibited 900 metres of defence installations like the Pune airport, SRA officials are pondering as to what to do with the four already constructed buildings.

When contacted, PMC commissioner Kunal Kumar, who is also the CEO of SRA, said it would be premature to comment about the fate of the buildings. “We will study the high court order as also the notifications regarding constructions post-2003 around defence installations. We are supposed to conduct the hearings in the connection the buildings within the prohibited area and prepare the report in six months. Therefore, as of now, it would be premature to comment anything.”

However, civic and SRA officials believe the authorities are left with no choice but to do away with the project, especially in the light of the HC order, which, in effect, means demolition of the buildings.

While the SRA is undecided as of now, PCMC corporator Seema Savle, who was the first to raise the issue of violations of norms by SRA, has called for demolition of the buildings. In a letter to Kumar, Savle said,”The project which poses risk to defence establishments and one which has been constructed in violations of laid-down norms should be done away with.”

BJP leader Sarang Kamtekar, who along with Savle had been instrumental in bringing the project to a halt, said,”The project was initially planned for Rs 400 crore, but the builder was supposed to get three times the compensation for each square feet construction, which meant Rs 1,000 crore. However, when The Indian Express highlighted the issue, it went to the Chief Minister who stayed the project compensation plan. The project, since then, has remained grounded.”

Kamtekar said SRA officials had only one option available: to demolish the buildings.