After weeks of uncertainty and displacement, residents of Chunnilal building in Chira Bazar — which had collapsed on August 17 — have finally been moved to transit accommodations provided by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) in Cotton Green. While the new location is not where they had hoped to be relocated, the residents expressed relief that they now have a roof over their heads, at least during the ongoing festival of Diwali.
Chunnilal building, a decades-old structure, came crashing down in the congested lanes of Chira Bazar, leaving several families homeless overnight. Since then, the displaced residents had been living with relatives, friends, or in temporary arrangements, anxiously awaiting news of rehabilitation.
The big move
After running from pillar to post and being victims of red tape, the families were finally handed over keys to their transit homes on September 26, and they moved in by the first week of October.
Hiraji Deo and his family, who used to reside at Chunnilal building in Chira Bazar
“It took more than a month for the officials to hand over the keys. Those 43 days, we saw hell. Though our neighbours and relatives supported us, the struggle to make our little kids travel from Vasai to South Mumbai every day for school was exhausting, not just physically but mentally,” said Hiraji Deo, one of those affected.
While the residents were requesting relocation at one of the MHADA buildings close to the collapsed building, due to the unavailability of houses, the families have been relocated to the one in Cotton Green.
“We are just happy that we don’t have to keep paying the rent in our PG anymore and also that we have a roof above our heads, at least during Diwali. We were homeless during Ganeshotsav and Navratri. At least Diwali is going peacefully now,” said 56-year-old Sanjeevani Soshte.
Adding to her, Damyanti Rathod said, “Though we didn’t get the location we wished, we are thankful that the transit homes are not too far from our original neighbourhood. At least now we don’t have to keep shifting between relatives’ homes. We have a place of our own, even if temporary.”
The Soshtes’ new home in Cotton Green. PICS/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The families, however, are yet to retrieve belongings that remain buried under the collapsed building’s debris. Many residents have lost household items, documents, and valuables that were left behind during the evacuation. Despite this, the mood among them has been cautiously optimistic. “For weeks, our children kept asking where we would stay next. Today, we can finally tell them we have a home,” said Deo.
Official speaks
Authorities said that debris clearance and recovery operations at the Chira Bazar site are ongoing, with safety being a key concern due to the precarious condition of the ruins of the structure. “We are working to retrieve whatever personal belongings can be safely recovered,” said an official from the BMC’s disaster management cell.
For now, the families at the MHADA transit camp in Cotton Green are focusing on rebuilding their routines and finding comfort in stability. “The past few weeks have been emotionally exhausting,” said a resident. “But with this roof over our heads, we finally feel some sense of normalcy returning,” said Kamlesh Mayekar.
While questions remain about when permanent rehabilitation will take place and whether the residents will be able to return to their old locality, the relief of having secure shelter ahead of the festive season is unmistakable.
