The Bombay High Court had recently questioned the BMC for running a wholesale fish market in a building in a disastrous condition in south Mumbai’s Crawford Market. In light of it, the BMC presented its course of action to shift the traders. On the petition it filed on Monday, the civic authority mentioned that no trader will be allowed to enter the premise of the wholesale Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Fish Market from 11th July. The authority plans to demolish and then reconstruct the entire building.
Earlier a PIL was filed by Asagar Abbas Shaikh, a fish merchant, by advocates Rajiv Narula and MA Khan, asking the BMC to temporarily shift the establishment to Airoli. The fact that whilst the upper floors of the building were demolished in 2016, the fish market on the ground floor continued to operate. On 30th June, the division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish S Kulkarni alerted the BMC that if any life is lost due to the structure’s instability, the civic authority will be held liable. It further mentioned that stringent civil and criminal liabilities will be undertaken against the corporation’s officers, mayor and corporator.
Therefore, on Monday, BMC’s Senior Counsel Anil Sakhare mentioned that till the reconstruction activities are completed, the traders can carry out their operations at Airoli Octroi Naka plot or other markets as per the availability. In the future, the BMC looks to construct a temporary ground floor shed, wherein trade will be permitted. However, Mumbai Fresh Fish Dealers Association representing advocates, voiced their discomfort regarding the decision to shift the traders 40 km from the current location and sought space in the same vicinity. The court, however, dismissed the same, since the said objections weren’t voiced earlier.
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