Why is Mumbai Collapsing? Weak Infra Has Killed Over 800 Since ’71

Fire Brigade and NDRF personnel carry out rescue works after the collapse of the four-storey Kesarbai building at Dongri in Mumbai on 16 July 2019.  

(Photo: PTI)

A 100-year-old building in Mumbai’s Dongri gave way on Tuesday, 16 July, killing 13 people.

Every year reports of such incidents surface, and Mumbai’s collapsing infrastructure hits the headlines once again.

To understand the situation better, The Quint took a closer look at Kamathipura area, which has buildings that are about a century old.

The residents allege that even after they were served notices, the landlords don’t want to renovate the buildings.

Often, after being asked to evacuate, the tenants refused to budge. There are several reasons for this.

For one, the rehabilitation camps are far away and tenants are reluctant to move. Secondly, most residents work nearby and their children go to nearby schools. Another reason for this is the friction between landlords and tenants; when the former wants renovations the latter resists and vice versa.

According to the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), between 1971 and 2018, there have been 3,528 building collapse incidents, which have killed over 800 people.

There are about 16,000 dilapidated buildings in Mumbai and the owners have been served notices several times, but no one's willing to vacate.

The government now needs to take stringent measures.

Most of the land in Kamathipura is collector land that has been given on lease for 100 years. For those who refuse to renovate, their lease should be cancelled. Otherwise this problem will persist.