MUMBAI: Eleven dilapidated structures housing markets will be pulled down this year, despite opposition from their tenants and the shopkeepers.
The demolition drive follows a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) survey of buildings that are more than 30 years old, ordered after the Dockyard Babu Genu market building collapse.
The BMC conducted a structural audit of 76 market buildings in the city
According to its report, 21 structures housing markets need major repairs, 11 on a priority basis.
The civic body has already started demolishing the Navalkar market at Jogeshwari (East) and the Topiwala market in Goregaon.
The 10 other markets do not need to be evacuated for repairs, the BMC said.
To tackle the resistance from the shopkeepers to shift to another location, the BMC said it will allow them to go on with their business on an open plot once the structure is demolished.
The BMC has been evacuating people from dangerous structures ever since the Dockyard market collapse.
To avoid a similar disaster, the market department said it has started the evacuation of people from the Shirodkar market at Parel.
However, when civic officials reached the spot earlier this week, the BMC staff staying in the building protested.
The market has 104 BMC staff as occupants, who have been given accommodation at Mahul.
The demolition has now been pushed to next week.
“There has been a l ot of resistance from shopkeepers. We have decided to allow them to go on conducting their business after the structure is demolished and there is no danger to life,” said Sharad Ugade, assistant municipal commissioner.
“In the case of the Shirodkar market at Parel, we will have to carry out a forceful evacuation, as the tenants do not want to move. The audit reports the status of the building is very bad and needs to be pulled down immediately,” he said.
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