MUMBAI: Authorities have shown a lackadaisical approach towards abandoned structures, with only one of the eight city divisions submitting a list of dangerous buildings, and that list lacked thorough verification.
The Kalachowki division was the only one to present a list of 248 buildings; however, the audit found that 76 of these had already been demolished, redeveloped, or were in the process of redevelopment.
In previous years, the city has experienced collapses of such dilapidated structures, often resulting in fatalities.
According to the Mhada Act, the BMC is obligated to provide comprehensive details regarding cess buildings in hazardous or deteriorating conditions that are at risk of collapse without immediate repairs, or those that have received notices from the BMC.
The audit highlighted that among the eight divisions selected from the Mumbai Building Repairs and Reconstruction Board (MBR&RB), only the Kalachowki division’s list was submitted.
The government responded to the CAG that directives were sent to all Executive Engineers (of Mhada) to collect lists from their respective ward offices.
The audit also noted that MBR&RB relied exclusively on visual inspections, disregarding recommendations for technical audits to accurately assess the conditions of cess dilapidated buildings.
