For 20 years, they had to drain waste in soak-pit

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For 20 years, they had to drain waste in soak-pit
as reported by Derineh Cooper, Monday, August 25

Nearly 20 years after they were built, around 25 buildings in Dahisar still do not have a sewer line, resulting in health hazards and flooding in the locality. Residents claimed that they have no option but to drain the waste into a soak-pit.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) contended that the buildings did not have a proper drainage line because the developer, Vishal Builder, did not deposit Rs77,000 for the connection when the buildings were constructed in 1989.

The Palika has now asked the residents to pay Rs7,23,000, including the deposit and the penalty, to connect their drain to the main sewer line.

"Unless the BMC receives the deposit from the builders, it cannot grant a completion certificate," said civil advocate Kishwar Mirza. "It's one of the mandatory conditions and it was the builders' duty to ensure that he had paid the deposit."

According to the documents the residents obtained under the Right to Information Act, they discovered that the MCGM, parent body to the BMC, had, at a joint meeting in February 2005, resolved to take action against the builder and recover the money from him.

Despite this, the BMC continued to ask the residents for the amount.
In September, the residents finally approached Bombay High Court for a mandate against the BMC. Thereafter, they spent three years being shunted from one division bench to another, five in all.

Finally on August 21, 2008, when the petition once again came up for arguments on whether it should be admitted for hearing, the residents withdrew the petition.

"We have not decided on the further course of action," said SS Murthy, secretary of the residents' association. In the mean time, the residents of 25 buildings will continue to drain the refuse in a cesspit.
cooperd@dnaindia.net

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