MUMBAI, Dec. 10 -- Around 30,000 to 40,000 residents living in approximately 200 buildings in Juhu, many of which built roughly 50 years ago, and positioned close to the military wireless transmission station, have threatened to boycott the upcoming municipal elections. Their grouse is that a decades-long notification by the military has impeded their fight for redevelopment. Over the years, the residents, under the aegis of Juhu Wireless Affected Residents (JWAR), have been fighting hard to save their homes and protect their future. As the military wireless transmission station is located inside the campus of Army Officers Institute on the Juhu Tara Road, 500 yards from the buildings, height restrictions were decreed. A notification from the defence ministry released in a gazette, under the Defence Act on June 19, 1976, stated that since the land in Juhu is in the vicinity of the signal transmitting station, it should be kept free of buildings and any other obstruction. No permanent construction was permitted beyond the height of 15.24 meters (three storeys). This notification however was not implemented and over a period of time some of the buildings went into redevelopment, after acquiring all due permissions, said B B Lakdawala, founder of JWAR. These are 10- 11-storeyed buildings - only some fully built. However, residents said, after the Adarsh housing scam which came to light in 2010, the army started enforcing the height restriction from the following year. "In 2011, a fresh circular was issued which stated no construction can take place within 500 yards of military establishments. Because of the enforcement, redevelopment of several buildings were halted. The original buildings were demolished by the builder and residents were staying on rent. Fourteen years have passed, but the Centre has not withdrawn the circular despite our repeated appeals to everyone from MLAs, MPs to the defence minister and the prime minister," said Lakdawala. "The politicians only approach us for votes. This time residents of all the 200 buildings will boycott the elections," he added. Some residents have also been irked by social gatherings conducted inside the campus of the institute. "The area should be heavily guarded if there is a transmission station. How are civilians allowed to attend weddings and parties inside the institutes," asked Amit Jagani, a resident. Residents had earlier urged authorities to find a speedy solution as every monsoon seepages in the buildings worsen. "We fear for our lives. Water seeps into the buildings and can collapse at any time. We spent our life's savings to purchase these houses, and are now on the brink of losing it all," said Ketan Desai, another resident. "All the buildings are three- or four-storeyed. As they are old and lack basic amenities such as lifts, senior citizens find it hard to climb up the stairs." According to data collated by the citizens' body, 16 buildings in the area were built prior to 1971, 124 built between 1971-1980 and 53 between 1981-1990. The average age of residents here is 70. "We are not in our prime anymore to protest and participate in morchas. We have reached out to all the local and national leaders to call their attention to this problem, but it has all been in vain," said Lakdawala. "We have even explored the legal route, but the lawyers' charges are extremely high for us to bear."...