They prefer fear of collapse to transit ‘concentration’ camps

Given the building’s condition, the tenants were not surprised when the civic authorities put it on the list of buildings in urgent need of repairs. Then the Mumbai Building Repairs and Reconstruction Board (MBRRB) sent them a notice on May 31, asking them to vacate by June 30. The MBRRB directed them to move to camps in Ghatkopar or Vikhroli. ‘‘Transit camps are concentration camps. Once you go there you do not return,’’ says a resident.

Nadir Kamal, a tenant, says they have been running from pillar to post to get the building repaired, but in vain. In fact, the tenants wanted to form a cooperative society and had applied to the Cooperative Cell of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority for acquisition of the property. They also wrote to the MBRRB in 1999, urging it to allow them to reconstruct the building. They were refused permission the next year.

Every room in the building has the ceiling propped up by logs. A couple of monsoons ago, a water tank collapsed. More recently, a part of the garage caved in. With heavy rains this year, the residents are literally living on a prayer. ‘‘We sit up at nights, praying that nothing happens to us,’’ says Kamal’s mother Zeenat-ul-Mukher.

A prime reason cited for refusing permission to reconstruct was that the requirement of 70 per cent tenants was not satisfied. Despite trying again they received no response from the authorities. ‘‘In the past couple of years, only a handful of us remain and all are supporting us, so where is the question of not fulfilling the 70 per cent requirement?’’ asks Kamal.

In May, Kamal re-applied for permission. A reply is awaited. MBRRB Chief Officer Suresh Karande says it’s quite common for tenants refusing to leave dangerous homes. ‘‘Nobody likes to live in transit camps and these people are no exception. We do have transit camps in Sion and Wadala, but we can’t accommodate such a large number here. But I’ll look into it,’’ he assured. With the landlords not responding to their demands and the last day of the notice of the MBRRB having expired, the eight families don’t know what’s in store for them.