BMC orders demolition of top 3 floors of Vile Parle building

In a scene reminiscent of a 90’s Govinda movie, the BMC has ordered the demolition of the top three floors of an 11-storey building in Vile Parle.

According to officials, the builder had secured the permission to construct a 11-storey building within a stipulated floor space index (FSI). However, by constructing wider flats, they exhausted the FSI by the 8th floor and rendered the top three floors illegal.

The residents of Shanti Vijay housing society had finalized Navkar Infra Projects for the building’s redevelopment. After finding that the developer was violating norms, the residents filed a complaint with the municipal commissioner.

In their complaint, the residents claimed that the entire building is illegal and should be demolished.

Mukesh Gala, the building’s developer, however denied the allegations claiming that the BMC issued a stop-work notice owing to issues with the setback area. The work on the under-construction building has been stopped until further notice.

But, the BMC’s notice clearly mentions that the developer has flouted rules and ordered its demolition. The notice obtained by TOI reads, “The developer had carried out unauthorized horizontal and vertical extension of the building beyond approved plans. However, after scrutinizing the building’s plan, it is observed that part of the eight and upper ninth, tenth and eleventh floors were constructed beyond the permissible FSI. Issue a stop-work notice and demolish the part of the eight and upper ninth, tenth and eleventh floors, as per provisions of the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices (MRTP) Act.”

The BMC ward officer confirmed that they will schedule the demolition of the top three floors in the coming week.