Mumbai: Every year before the onset of monsoon, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) prepares a list of dangerous buildings occupied by tenants and asks them to vacate or undertake the repair works to avoid any untoward situation. This year, however, the authority is still surveying the buildings and yet to prepare the final listing of such buildings. A senior MHADA official said that by first week of June the list will be ready. Further justifying his comment, the official said, “Not only for monsoon but in the entire year also, we undertake repair works of buildings which are in poor condition. Just before the monsoon, we ask tenants of most dangerous buildings to vacate their houses if needed. Many deny, in such cases we forcefully evict them if they do not carry out repair works.” According to the data with MHADA, last year seven buildings were declared most dangerous.
Vinod Ghosalkar, Chairman of Mumbai Building Repairs and Reconstruction Board (MBRRB), said that the work has delayed due to 2019 Lok Sabha elections model code of conduct and most of the MHADA staff were on election duty. The MBRRB carry out annual survey of 17,000 cessed buildings located in South Mumbai, mostly constructed in 1963. The official stated, “People living in many of these old, poor structures are well aware of the fact that they are risking their lives, still they continue to live here. Moreover, these residents move court against the MHADA’s eviction order, further delaying the action.”
