Mumbai: Though chief minister Devendra Fadnavis assured temporary housing to the Ghatkopar crash victims on Thursday, Binita Ramchandani, whose parents lived on the fourth floor of the ill-fated building, said that by the end of Friday, they were yet to hear anything from the authorities.
“We have decided to wait till Sunday and if still no accommodation is provided, we will decide on taking some action,” said Ramchandani, who has come from Hyderabad to help her parents who survived the crash.
The government had made similar promises four years ago when a five-storey building in Mahim collapsed, killing 11 persons. However, the survivors are still waiting for building reconstruction work to take off. Some of them stay on rent and some are living with their relatives.
Amin Lakha, who lost five members of his family after Altaf Mansion in Mahim collapsed, said, “The incident rendered us homeless. We are living on rent like many other residents and still hoping to see the fulfilment that government promised in 2013
Lakha said that both the building crashes, in Mahim and Ghatkopar where illegal alterations to ground-floor commercial structures were the culprits. Lakha has shifted to Pune where his son is studying a dental course.
Residents of Altaf mansion had alleged that a car showroom owner had made structural changes on the ground floor right up the basement of the building removing a central pillar, which led to the incident in June 2013.
The government paid Rs 1 lakh compensation for each death but didn’t help them expedite the process to appoint a developer for building reconstruction.
we are also not getting rent from the builder. I have another house and so I am covered, but imagine the plight of those who do not have an alternative, especially the senior citizens,” added Iqbal.
