Dongri observation home is ‘unsafe’: Public Works Dept
The Public Works Department has issued a circular declaring the Dongri juvenile home at Umarkhadi unsafe.
In this 212-year-old juvenile home, undertrials under 16 are kept. The circular states that the first floor of the main building which houses the official residence of the Superintendent of the Dongri home is unsafe. The home is run by the Children’s Aid Society, a governmentrun institution, and is governed under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000.
On April 26, a letter has been submitted by Dipak Chattopadhyay, member of the Juvenile Justice Board, to Ajoy Mehta, the Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai, to look into the matter.
According to the letter issued by Balaji Patil, Chief Engineer, Public Works Department, on February 4 this year (a copy of which is available with the Free Press Journal), “The first floor of the main building of the Dongri home is unsafe. No structural audit has been conducted at the Dongri home. The letter states that the entire flooring of the first floor has caved in. The wooden pillars beneath the flooring have decayed. As per the letter, the first floor of the building should be vacated as the earliest.”
However, the residence of the Superintendent of the home has not been shifted as yet.
According to Satish Bansode, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Children’s Aid Society, “The Superintendent of the home, Trupti Jadhav, has been conveyed to vacate her residential premises since the building has been marked unsafe. A meeting was conducted along with Public Works Department officials to discuss the matter. From our end, we have taken necessary measures to maintain safety to thwart any untoward incident.”
“During the last monsoon season, thrice the ceiling on the first floor caved in and cement slabs were falling outside the office of the Superintendent of the Dongri home. The wooden pillars are infested with white ants. The building is 212 years old. Who will take responsibility if the building caves in this monsoon? The safety of the juveniles should be a top priority,” said Chattopadhyay.
According to Bapurao Bhavani, Chief Executive Officer of the Children Aid Society, “We are in receipt of the notice from PWD. However, no further instructions have been given to us regarding repair work.”