2 days after cave-in residents still live in fear

Mumbai: Two days after 50 people from nine families were evacuated from P&T Colony, Andheri East, when a 20-24 feet sinkhole appeared on the road outside their building during tunnelling work for Metro line 7A, residents who are postal employees on Monday reached out to officials from the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) and the postal department to ensure their safety. MMRDA, purportedly responded saying it was up to the postal department to allow them to take over the building’s maintenance.
The residents were relocated to Hotel Aurika, on Sahar Road, on Saturday, when the cave-in occurred. As they returned to their old homes on Sunday, they expressed anxiety over the possible weakening of the building due to the ongoing Metro work nearby.
Soon after the cave-in occurred, MMRDA had a contractor fill it up with concrete and the area cordoned off. In a media statement, it said, the tunnelling work will resume only after ensuring the stability of the soil and the effectiveness of the cement grouting in the area, and that “every precaution is being taken to prevent any further cave-ins”.
Residents on Monday urged MMRDA and postal department officials to conduct a structural audit of the building and take care of its maintenance. They also requested that the road be improved for their ease of travel. One of their complaints is that no taxis or aggregator cabs agree for a pickup due to the bad path.
“After this incident, I don’t want to live here with my family,” said a resident who did not want to be named. “I’m physically handicapped. If something happens even after the structural audit or some repair work, I won’t be able to run outside or away from the building like others. I have asked the postal department to move us to a different building, where we are not scared of a cave-in or the building collapsing.”
“It doesn’t matter if the structural audit of the building is undertaken, or the maintenance is taken care of. Now that a sinkhole has appeared, we will always live here in fear,” said Kiran Ningurkar, a resident of the building. “Who can assure us that a similar instance will not occur? Can the building withstand the vibration of the machine while the tunnelling takes place; or will it collapse?”
The residents also claimed that the postal department assured them safer accommodation. “We demand a written assurance from both the postal department and MMRDA,” she added.
An official from the postal department, who did not want to be named, said, “We have had a meeting with MMRDA and residents. We are yet to decide on the way forward. We should have a decision by tomorrow.”
Officials from MMRDA were unavailable to comment on the issue.