Your building is safe, MMRDA assures residents………..Mayura Janwalkar & Ninad Siddhaye
Mumbai: Gautam Nivas, the residential building allegedly endangered by the usage of vibrohammer for the Metro rail construction at Versova in Andheri, has no imminent danger, the Bombay high court was informed on Tuesday. The structural engineer, who was appointed to conduct an audit of the building, stated in a report submitted to the court that the building is fit for occupation.
According to the report given by Structwel Designers and Consultants, who were appointed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the building has been declared safe conditionally. We certify that though the structure shows distress in some of the structural members, the same is fit for occupation. The structural members showing distress should be repaired on priority, said the report signed by Chetan Raikar, a well known licensed structural engineer.
However, the report does have a word of caution. The validity of the certificate will cease the moment any addition and or alteration, damage to the structural frame is caused by accident or by tampering with the geometrical sections of structural members for any purpose, the report added.
MMRDAs advocate sought 15 days, from the court, to file a final report regarding the status of the building and repairs, if required. We are willing to help them (residents of Gautam Nivas). We will carry out the repairs after the structural engineers final report, the advocate told the court.
Residents of Gautam Nivas society had intervened in a PIL filed by activist Monica Matani, who had sought compensation from the Reliance Infrastructure-led consortium constructing the Metro rail line from Versova to Ghatkopar. Simran Puri, advocate for the residents told the court: The residents have agreed to move back into the building after the MMRDAs assurance. But they are still living in a high state of anxiety.