Ceiling slab falls apart in JN1-type flat

Navi Mumbai: A slab of the ceiling of a JN1-type flat in a Vashi building built by Cidco came crashing down on Monday. The incident has again raised concerns over the delay in approvals for redevelopment of structures which have been declared dangerous by the civic body. “It was sheer luck that the ceiling did not land upon on any family member. The flats are just 10X10 sqft in area and there is hardly any space to even move around. All four members of the family were sleeping at the the time of the incident,” a resident of the building said. Local corporator Kishor Patkar said it has been 19 years that the redevelopment plan has been submitted but there has been little progress as Cidco has not given its clearance. “Even an NMMC committee has declared these buildings to be dangerous for living, so there shouldn’t be any delay in starting the redevelopment process,” Patkar said. Meanwhile, a Cidco estate department official said the administration may altogether forgo the need to issue an NOC, considering NMMC is the planning authority.