Esplanade Mansion: HC asks Mhada to list precautions for demolition

Mumbai, Jun 4 (PTI) The Bombay High Court Tuesdayasked the Maharashtra Housing Area Development Authority(Mhada) to list out precautions it proposes to take whilebringing down the Esplanade Mansion, a 150-year-old heritage structure in south Mumbai.On directions of the HC, the Mhada had issued eviction notices to all occupants of the building as it was in a dilapidated condition.A division bench of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and G SPatel on Tuesday was informed by Mhada lawyer P G Lad that 104 occupants have already vacated the building. However, 64 offices in the building have locks on them and theirowners/tenants have not responded to eviction notices."Since the last date for eviction has passed, Mhada will now remove locks and seize all movable articles inside the said premises and make an inventory, and later hand it over to rightful owners," Lad said.He added the Mhada will then initiate further actiontowards demolition of the building.The bench then sought to know what precautions theauthorities propose to take during demolition to ensure nountoward incident occurs."The building is at a busy intersection at Kala Ghodain south Mumbai with continuous vehicular movement. Tell uswhat precautions you (Mhada) will take...considering theimpending monsoon season in the city," the bench said."Barricades need to be put up around the building and no person should be allowed to walk in the promenadesurrounding it, and no cars should be allowed to be parkedthere. We do not want the building or any part of it to fallon any one," the judges said.The bench added that authorities should make some wayon the road for pedestrians to walk.Advocate Atul Damle, appearing for some of theoccupants of the building, told the court the Mhada shouldgive them transit occupation elsewhere in the vicinity.The bench, however, said the rightful owners can filecivil suits in lower courts to resort these disputes."Individual plaints have no relevance when the buildingis in a dangerous and dilapidated condition," Justice Patelsaid.The bench has posted the matter for further hearing onJune 21 by when Mhada will have to file an affidavit statingwhat steps it has taken.The five-floor Esplanade Mansion, formerly known asWatson's Hotel, was built with cast iron fabricated in Englandand was enrolled in the list of '100 World EndangeredMonuments'. It is a UNESCO-recognised heritage structure. PTI SP NSK DVDV