Adhere to sanctioned plans, court tells sobo developer

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has directed the developer of a residential society in south Mumbai to give an undertaking that he will comply with the conditions of the sanctioned plans. The order came after petitioners complained that open spaces on the plot had been converted into gardens due to which, access for fire engines was hampered. The petitioners claimed that the garden was not as per the sanctioned plans.

A division bench of justices A.S. Oka and P.N. Deshmukh was hearing a bunch of writ petitions and a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by residents of Ashok Tower Cooperative Housing Society Limited against the developer for endangering their lives. The petitioners claimed that the developer had risked the lives of residents of four towers by selling off the access route which had originally been earmarked for fire engines in the sanctioned plans. The petitioners submitted that despite the sanctioned plans having demarcated a route for fire tenders, the same had either been sold off to flat owners or covered up in the name of beautification by creating a garden. The petitioners also said that the BMC had not taken cognisance of this violation.

However, senior advocate Anil Sakhare, appearing for the corporation, informed the court that it had already issued notice to the developer and asked him to adhere to the sanctioned plans.