Mumbai: 220 Naigaum police families told to shift from old buildings

MUMBAI: Eviction notices were issued to 220 families of police personnel staying in five dilapidated buildings at the Naigaum headquarters in Dadar to immediately shift to other available accommodation in the city, fearing that the structures may collapse. The buildings have been declared dilapidated and unsafe by public works department.

“PWD recently conducted a structural audit of the buildings and concluded that they were weak, and if there was heavy rain or bad weather with wind some of them may collapse. Hence, we served them eviction notices but some personnel approached local politicians and are making a political issue of it, refusing to vacate.

We are concerned about the safety of our policemen and their families,’’ said a senior police official. He said politicians will not help if the buildings collapse and families of constables will suffer.

Mumbai Police said the 220 families were mostly of constabulary rank. The buildings were built in 1962 and due to poor maintenance have become weak. There are sufficient vacant flats, said Rajkumar Watkar, joint commissioner of police (administration).