Aurangabad, Nov 18:
The Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court comprising Justice S V Gangapurwala and Justice R N Ladda today has re-ordered the Public Works Department (PWD) to submit evidence regarding the structural audit (of properties at Labour Colony- Aurangabad) which they had done, prior to serving of demolition notices.
PWD's lawyer Shamrao Patil sought time to submit the proof. The next hearing will be held on November 23.
In the previous hearing, the bench has ordered to submit evidence regarding the structural audit. Hence, today, the PWD submitted an affidavit stating the inspection of the locality done by it and also enclosed the photographs of the same.
Main objection of petitioners
The lawyer of petitioners, Adv Pradnya Talekar, has again brought into the notice of the High Court that the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has displayed (or pasted) a public notice stating demolition of properties (government quarters at Labour Colony) without conducting the structural audit. The action goes against the verdict given by High Court in connection with Kalyan Dombivili Municipal Corporation (KDMC) case.
The lawyer underlined that the bench has intimated that the order of demolishing properties could not be released on the basis of inspection. The concerned authorities have not done the inspection as per the guidelines given by the High Court. It is being projected that the visual inspection of the locality has been done, she informed the High Court.
How to do a visual inspection?
It may be noted that the High Court, in response to the petition of KDMC, has given guidelines which tell to do an inspection of plaster of inner sidewalls and outer sidewalls, check the functioning of taps, sewage, doors and windows, does any steel rod is visible from the concrete column; note down defect in the foundation of a building, cracks in the column and beams, condition of column and stairs, foundation column of the water tank, condition of the parapet wall, terrace and lentils. The leakage in the terrace should be inspected personally, said Adv Talekar in the court. She further said that after conducting various special tests like ultrasonic, pulse velocity, rebound hammer, half shell potential, carbonisation depth, core, chemical analysis and cement aggregate ratio, if the AMC finds the properties posing a severe danger or dilapidated then it should prepare a list of occupants. The list should also mention possession of carpet area floor wise, brought Adv Talekar into the notice of the bench.