Three days after the Bhiwandi building collapse builder is still at large

A total of 107 buildings across the Bhiwandi city are listed as dangerous and very dangerous by BNCMC.

@NarendraJourno1

Bhiwandi: Three days after a portion of the ill-fated Jilani apartments in Bhiwandi came crashing down the Bhiwandi police are yet to nab Sayyed Ahmad Jilani who is the builder of the dilapidated building. The death toll in the mishap is now 38 dead that includes 15 children, while 25 people sustained injuries

According to the civic officials from the Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC) Jilani builder had taken requisite permission of ground plus one-storied building from the administration. However, in 2007, the builder illegally added two floors without taking necessary permissions from the BNCMC.

Speaking to thenews21 Rajkumar Shinde DCP, Zone 2 of Thane commissionerate said, “So far we have registered a case against Sayyed Ahmad Jilani who is the builder under sections 337, 338, 304(2) of Indian Penal Code. The builder is still at large and no arrest has been made in the matter.  

The BNCMC had conducted a pre-monsoon survey of the dangerous and very dangerous building. They found out that a total of 107 buildings came under the two categories. Thereafter, the civic authorities have issued the list of dangerous and very dangerous buildings. Out of 107 buildings, 102 have already been evacuated while there is a court stay order in regards to five buildings.

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Deepak Sawant Deputy Municipal Commissioner (DMC) of BNCMC while speaking with thenews21, “Out of 107 buildings, 25 come under dangerous buildings  category which are dilapidated structures and are going to be demolished while 82 buildings are in the list of very dangerous buildings. Out of the 82 buildings, 77 buildings have been issued notices to carry out major repair works, while the remaining five buildings have court stay order”.

Sawant further said apart from above 107 buildings, nearly 222 buildings have already been issued notice to minor repairing work which do not come under dangerous and very dangerous building list. 

An official of the Property department of BNCMC said that nearly 3 lakhs properties have been built up across the Bhiwandi city including shops, slums, flats and other structures.

The civic official said that structural audit is a significant role play in case of the old building which is over 30 years old. “If the people take structural audit seriously and conducted it in time then a lot of lives will be saved, ” said activist Arvind Jaiswar.

Meanwhile, taking serious cognizance of the building mishap incident, BNCMC municipal commissioner Pankaj Ashiya on Monday evening, suspended two senior civic officers including Sudam Jadhav Assistant Municipal Commissioner and engineer Dudhnath Yadav. An enquiry committee has been formed which is headed by Omprakash Dwivedi including town planning officer.

Jilani Apartment was constructed in the year of 1984 and the 36 year old building was a ground plus three-storied building. There were 17 flats on each floor of the building. A total of 51 flats were built by the builder Sayyed Ahmad Jilani. 

The ground floor of the building had fully set up power loom and the remaining building was residential. The half portion of the building came crashing down at around 3.45 pm on Monday. 

The residents on the floors above were fast asleep while the workers in the power loom on the ground floor managed to escape without giving any intimation to any residents above, said Ibrahim Ansari (22), who resides at the third floor.

Earlier, the Patel compound came under the gram panchayat administration. The building had not the formation of society since 1984 and the building had taken permission from gram panchayat. –By Narendra Gupta