MUMBAI: Grappling with an avalanche of unauthorised constructions, the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) has decided to blast its way through the problem, quite literally.
With earthmovers no match for the sheer volume of illegal structures, the civic body plans to use explosives instead. It floated tenders last week for the demolition drive, outlining the roles and responsibilities of the firms to be contracted for the task.
VVCMC commissioner Manoj Suryavanshi said, “We have more than 1,500 illegal buildings in our jurisdiction. Of these, 196 are in dilapidated condition and we have a staff of 100 to undertake demolitions. Since the work is beyond their scope, we have floated tenders to employ companies using explosives.”
According to the tender, the company will have to first weaken buildings before dynamiting them. It would also have to remove the debris, post-demolition; dispose of debris safely; make sure the environment around the demolition site is not impacted; and undertake traffic and crowd control.
A civic official said the VVMC has taken this bold step after the four-story Ramabai Apartments collapsed in Virar in August, killing 17 people. The building was an unauthorised structure. “After the crash, the state urban development department asked us about steps taken against illegal structures. That’s why we have decided to intensify our drive,” said the officer.
In the last year alone, at least six illegal buildings have crashed in the Vasai-Virar area, forcing the civic authorities to tackle the challenge.
Earlier this year, the VVCMC demolished an entire township, Agarwal Nagar, comprising 41 unauthorised buildings. The case has since become a symbol of the nexus between civic officials, builders, and middlemen at the root of the illegal construction racket in Vasai-Virar.
The racket runs so deep that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested IAS officer and former VVMC commissioner, Anil Pawar; former deputy director of town planning YS Reddy; and others in a money laundering case linked to Agarwal Nagar. Pawar was released from jail last week.