The stand-off between the families in the Campa Cola compound and Birhanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) formally ended on Monday, as the residents allowed the civic officials to enter their premises to initiate the process of disconnecting water, piped domestic gas and electricity supply to 102 illegal flats in the housing complex at Worli in south-central Mumbai.
living up the promise that they had made on Sunday, the agitating residents opened the main gate of the Campa Cola compound to a team of civic officials to initiate the process of implementing the June 3 order of the Supreme Court, which had directed the BMC to proceed with the due process of eviction followed by demolition.
As part of the preparatory exercise for the impending eviction followed by demolition, 12 teams from the Bombay Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST), Mahanagar Gas, and the BMC were given entry to the meter rooms, and utilities in all seven buildings in the compound.
However, the residents refused to hand over the keys to their illegal flats to the BMC officials, saying that they would not over the possession of their flats till such time a final solution was not worked.
Talking to media persons, BMC’s Assistant Municipal Commissioner Keshav Ubale said that the civic teams would not carry out demolitions at this stage.. “We are not carrying out any demolition today. So, the flat keys are not required. We have been given access to the utilities for disconnection process, and that’s fine by us. We will ensure that legal residents do not suffer any kind of inconvenience cause of the disconnection process,” Ubale said.
Till Monday evening, the BMC teams had disconnected 55 electricity meters, cut gas connections to 14 flats, and severed three water connections. The civic officials would resume their work again on Tuesday till utilities to all 102 illegal flats spread across 35 illegal floors are disconnected.
However, there was no confirmation of the essential supplies to two illegal flats -nos 802 and 803 — owned by renowned singer lata Mangeshkar on the eight floor of Esha-Ekta housing society, one of the seven buildings, were cut off in Monday’s drive.
Unlike on the past three days when the residents vociferously resisted the BMC officials’ efforts to gain entry inside the complex, the Campa Cola complex wore a sombre look with the owners of the illegal flats located in seven building spread across the complex having reconciled to the impending eviction-cum-demolition.
With limited options at their disposal, the Campa Cola compound residents are hoping against hope that the chief minister would keep his promise to them and look for a legal solution so as to ensure the residents of illegal flats were not rendered homeless.
Another thing that the residents are banking is a curative petition filed by them in the Supreme Court. The petition will come up for hearing in July.