BMC To Start Demolitions At Punjabi Colony colony at Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar

                Crumbling Structure  at Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar

As the civic body gets ready to raze dilapidated buildings, residents plead for state intervention to help redevelop the area.

                     Residence of Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar

Punjabi colony at Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar (GTB), which is more than 70 years old and has been home to Sikh and Punjabi refugees who came from Pakistan shortly after Independence, might be on its last legs. Post the Govandi building collapse incident, the BMC has started rigorous action to vacate all dilapidated buildings in the city. The plan for demolition is ongoing and execution will start in October. But, residents are pleading for government intervention, as they haven't found any solution for the redevelopment or alternate accommodation.

All the 25 buildings of Punjabi Colony are in a dilapidated condition and the BMC had started sending evacuation notices to these buildings almost two decades ago in 1999.

But after all these years of court cases, agitation and redevelopment process, the BMC has started disconnecting water and electricity. It has already cut connections of 14 buildings. "We plan to cut the connection of all the remaining buildings over the next week, as they are dilapidated, and we cannot take any risk. The demolition process of buildings will start in October," said Gajanan Bellale, assistant commissioner of F North ward consisting Wadala and Sion.

While the residents also do not feel safe staying in these buildings, and many of them have already shifted, the main issue of redevelopment and alternate accommodation remains unresolved.

https://www.mid-day.com/articles/mumbai-bmc-to-start-demolitions-at-punjabi-colony/23009247