A day after two people died after inhaling toxic fumes at a public toilet in Mumbai’s Goregaon East, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday launched a massive demolition drive against unauthorised structures in and around the toilet premises. The civic authorities said it has demolished more than 50 unauthorised structures during the drive. The civic officials, however, said that the toilet where the incident happened will not be demolished since it’s a community structure.

According to the civic officials, the unauthorised structures were located underneath the Murali Nair flyover. There is an industrial unit closer to the flyover which had allegedly dumped chemical waste inside the public toilet.

“Most of the residents living in the unauthorised structures dump household and hazardous waste into the public toilet. As a result, the entire area is being littered with garbage. Additionally, the encroachments were also eating up public space; therefore, it was very much necessary to remove them,” an official told . The residents have earlier been sent notices regarding the same.

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According to the authorities, Monday’s demolition was carried out under police protection. The officials had deployed heavy machinery and JCB cranes to remove unauthorised structures.

The demolition drive started on Monday morning around 8 am and continued for more than four hours. Meanwhile, the officials have maintained that since the residents were illegal occupants in the area, they wouldn’t be qualified for any alternative housing.

Earlier on Sunday, September 27, two men entered a public toilet and died after being exposed to toxic fumes, according to the civic authorities.

The incident has also brought scrutiny on the unauthorised structures and commercial activity operating in the vicinity of the public toilet.

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The deaths have also raised questions about the safety conditions around public toilets in densely populated areas, particularly where industrial or commercial activities are operating in close proximity.