New Delhi: The municipal authorities and the residents of Worli's Campa Cola society are poised for another face-off today as the BMC arrives to disconnect water, electricity and piped gas to the 96 illegal apartments.
BMC will undertake the drive to raze around 96 flats as per the SC order following its observation of FSI violations across seven buildings in the compound.
The court's order was passed in February 2013, while the breather given to the residents concerned ended on May 31 this year.
The residents are left with no choice but to vacate their homes. Seven buildings of the Campa Cola Housing Society in Mumbai were constructed between 1981 and 1989.
The BMC, however, does not wish to resort to force. It will film the proceedings and, should the residents use violence, it will return and present the footage to the Supreme Court.
An official of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) said that the eviction process will be carried out in three stages and may go on for a year.
Here are the LIVE updates:
1:15 pm: BMC officials return from the compound after not being allowed to enter. They will be briefing the Commissioner on the events and discuss the next course of action.
1:10 pm: BMC likely to file contempt of court petition against Campa Cola residents based on events in the Compound today. Evidence from the video taken by BMC officials will also be submitted to the court.
1:09 pm: BMC official outside the Campa Cola Compound: We will brief the senior officers and BMC Commissioner about the situation on the ground and a decision will be taken accordingly.
12:46 pm: Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan: The Supreme Court has given very strict and specific orders in this case, so there can be no political interference.
12:42 pm: Campa Cola resident: We offered that the BMC could demolish the illegal floors based on total FSI of the complex, but they did not accept this.
12:40 pm: Campa Cola resident: BMC never came up with a solution to this. Whenever we approached them in the past, they refused to find a solution. Now they are hiding behind the judgment of the Supreme Court. It was their fault.
12:34 pm: Campa Cola resident: It is the government's fault for creating a situation more than two decades ago when homebuyers were not made aware of the law and their rights. The problem begins with the government.
12:33 pm: Police detain protesting RPI workers outside Campa Cola Compound.
12:33 pm: Rashid Alvi, Congress: While the court's judgment must be respected, I feel for the residents. If they are to become homeless today, it would be very unfortunate.
12:31 pm: BJP's Shaina NC is also present inside the Campa Cola compound to support the residents.
12:13 pm: Social activist Abha Singh: What is happening is contempt of court. So I would request the Campa Cola residents to let the BMC officials do their duty. They should vacate their houses as if they don't they will end up in another legal trouble.
12:08 pm: Rahul Narverkar, NCP spokesperson: It's very unfortunate and inhumane on part of the BMC. They do not generally undertake such activities during the monsoons. Don't know why they are doing it now.
12:04 pm: The Campa Cola residents are shouting slogans against the BMC and have formed a human chain near the entry gates.
11:50 am: Police force has been deployed at the Campa Cola Society to support BMC officials in the eviction process.
11:49 am: BMC is filming the whole exercise being carried out at the Campa Cola Society.
11:45 am: Campa Cola residents block the entrance gate trying to prevent the entry of BMC officers.
11:44 am: Chaos at the entrance of Campa Cola Society as residents raise slogans against the officials of BMC
11:39 am: BMC officials reach Campa Cola Society.
11:02 am: Campa Cola resident: I have grown old in this society. Where will I go with my family at this age? We request the SC to look into the issue once more and give us some solutions.
10:57 am: The BMC has positioned 2 JCB machines outside the gate of the Campa Cola society.
10:20 am: A sankatmochan havan has been started at the entrance of the compound gate to prevent the BMC officials from entering the compound.
10:12 am: In a last ditch effort to evade the BMC action, the residents are now performing havan at the society's entrance gate.
10:10 am: The Municipal Corporation will today cut off electricity, water and gas supply to the illegal flats of Campa Cola Society as part of the evacuation process.
10:09 am: With the eviction set to begin, residents of Campa Cola Society plan to make human chains in protest of the BMC action.
