The residents of Campa Cola Compound at Worli, who face demolition by the BMC on Wednesday, have a ray of hope in sight after MCHI CREDAI, the representative body of real estate developers, called for finding an amicable solution for the crisis.
“It is unfortunate that over a 1,000 people will be rendered homeless as the BMC has given notices to demolish 140 flats in the compound,” said Paras Gundecha, president of MCHI CREDAI. Mr Gundecha added that he had appealed to both the residents and BMC to explore all options, including a review petition in the Supreme Court. He said that his organisation had also requested the BMC to give the residents some more time to find a way out of the crisis.
“The BMC should not show any undue haste in demolishing the flats where people have been living for 25 years,” he said. Pointing out that the authorities are regularising the unauthorised structures in Thane district and other places, Mr Gundecha appealed to the government to sympathetically consider the plight of Campa Cola Compound residents.
“Even Campa Cola Compound flats can be regularised with the payment of penalties,” he said. There are many senior citizens who will be hit hard, he said and appealed to the government to consider the case on humanitarian grounds.
Meanwhile, residents of the 140 flats have shifted to makeshift tents in the parking lots of the building in anticipation of the demolition by the civic body.