Over 1,000 residents of Punjabi Colony in Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar in Sion Koliwada took to the streets to prevent the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) from cutting power and water supply to 25 buildings in the colony on Thursday. The resistance turned violent and the police resorted to lathicharge to control the protesters. The BMC finally had to suspend its action.
Although the BMC has declared the buildings as dilapidated and hazardous to reside in, the residents claimed structural audits had been conducted through private firms. The colony has been home to three generations of Punjabi refugees, who were allotted housing when they relocated from Pakistan after the Partition.
Jitendra Vyas, resident of Building No. 18 in the colony, said, “Justice Mohta in 2014 outlined the steps needed to declare a building as dangerous. The BMC declared our buildings unfit for habitation over a decade ago. But we’ve had structural audits conducted on several buildings by credible engineers and they’re structurally sound. Why else would we stay in them with our children and elderly family members?”
The residents submitted an undertaking to the court absolving the BMC and the State government in case of mishap. “We will submit the undertaking assuming responsibility of residing here to Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta. We will get a stay on the cutting of electricity and water supply,” said Captain R. Tamilselvan, BJP MLA from Sion.
Satpal Duggal, a 59-year-old resident, said, “We want the BMC to leave us alone till a redevelopment plan is prepared. We cannot be uprooted from our houses.” The BMC’s teams gathered near the colony early on Thursday morning, but residents assembled at all three entrances to the colony and prevented them from entering the premises.
Five cops injured
The resistance took a violent turn by afternoon with residents pelting stones at the BMC teams. The police soon sent their personnel to prevent law and order problems. “Five policemen were injured in the stone pelting. Several protesters, including Capt. Tamilselvan, were detained. The situation is now under control,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police N. Ambika, Zone IV.
