Residents of D’Souza Mansion in Santacruz East are enduring severe hardships as they face the imminent threat of demolition. Since Monday, they have been without electricity and water, relying on a generator to power a single fan for each of the ten homes. The situation has forced children to study for exams using candles and torches, as they anxiously await the fate of their ancestral home.

Elderly resident Mary Fernandez, 81, expressed her despair, stating, “How do we live in such heat and amid mosquitoes? They should just kill us.” Another resident, Gracy D’Souza, 78, showed bruises on her arm from an altercation with police attempting to cut off their water supply.

The Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued a notice on March 11, declaring the building dilapidated and slated for demolition, despite the residents’ claims that multiple structural audits have deemed it repairable.

Dennis D’Souza, a resident and descendant of the original landowners, highlighted discrepancies in the BMC’s assessments, noting that the same auditor classified the building differently in various reports. He recounted how a builder exploited their lack of knowledge to claim ownership of the property, leading to a protracted legal battle. With the threat of demolition looming, the residents, supported by local activist Rajaram Patel, are preparing to challenge the BMC’s decision in court once more. Patel emphasized the importance of retaining their land, warning that losing it would mean never getting it back. Meanwhile, the builder’s lawyer insists that the BMC is obligated to act on the C1 classification, dismissing the residents’ audits as irrelevant.

Knowledge Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/residents-of-santacruz-gaothan-building-up-for-demolition-allege-injustice-101742326857543.html