Mhada orders re-audit of 23 cessed buildings in city

Mumbai: In the wake of the Dongri building collapse, Mhada will carry out a re-audit of 23 dilapidated cessed buildings, which are in a dangerous condition and unfit to inhabit. In the audit, Mhada will check if anyone is living in these buildings. There are a total 14,207 cessed buildings in the city.

Mhada, in this year’s audit, found 23 dilapidated buildings, which is a number greater than last year. Only seven buildings had been identified as dilapidated last year. Repair or redevelopment of cessed buildings is taken care of by the repair and redevelopment Board of Mhada.

Mhada president Uday Samant has ordered his officers to check all 23 buildings to find out if anyone is living in them. Mr Samant Wednesday said, “I have asked officers to visit all 23 buildings to find out whether people are living in these buildings despite giving them notices to vacate the premises. If someone is still living in these buildings, they should be removed and it is to be seen that no one occupies the place.”

According to Mhada records, 391 families had been living in the 23 dangerous buildings. Mhada’s Mumbai board president Madhu Chavan said that there were many illegal buildings built in these areas between 1970 and 1990 with support from the underworld. Mhada also released the letter, which it had sent to the BMC in 1990, asking the civic body to take action against these illegal buildings.

Mr Samant said that the decision taken by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis about cluster development of dilapidated buildings was a welcome move. It would help get better tenements for these buildings.