Hundreds of Dombivli families trapped between EMIs, KDMC's demolition threat

Residents allege political and administrative system are equal partners in the crime with builders

- Saurabha Kulshreshtha [e-mail]

MUMBAI: Earlier this week the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) demolished an under-construction four-storey building which was built on a plot reserved for a garden. The action follows a Bombay high court order of November 19, 2024, to act on 62 illegal buildings in the twin suburbs. The court had mandated that the structures be brought down in three months, setting a deadline of February 19, 2025.

While the civic body's drive leaves 6,500 families residing in the 62 buildings in distress, it also brings to light large-scale irregularities that have been a mainstay in Kalyan and Dombivli for decades — local builders have had a field day furnishing fake approvals from the corporation to MahaRERA, the regulatory body that governs real estate in Maharashtra, and approves authorized projects.

KDMC's action raises crucial questions — was it looking the other way when the buildings were coming up, how did the builders manage to get certificates from the housing regulator and a subsidy of ₹2.67 lakh for each flat buyer under the PM Awas Yojana (PMAY)? And now, following the HC order, what will be the fate of 6,500 families, most of whom belong to the lower middle class, burdened with housing loans?

Rohan Gamre, 37, a resident of Sai Galaxy, which features in the list of the dubious 62 constructions, purchased his 530 square feet flat in 2019 after coming across an advertisement of the project on an online portal. Gamre, who works in a private insurance company, resides in the flat with his wife and a child.

“I used to live in a small flat in Mumbai with my parents and brothers. I moved here when I got married and needed more space. I have a home loan — was the bank unaware of the fact that there was no building permission from KDMC; also how could the central government sanction the ₹2.67 lakh subsidy under PMAY, for an illegal building?” asked Gamre.