NMMC declares 475 buildings dangerous

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has issued a list of dangerous buildings in the city, declaring a total of 475 buildings dangerous under section 265 of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act, following a ward-wise survey conducted in 2021-22. However, there is no change in the total number of dangerous buildings in the fresh survey, with the civic body declaring the same number dangerous last year.

Every year, before the monsoons, the civic body declares a list of dangerous buildings and appeals to citizens to vacate them as they can collapse.

This year, the civic body has not provided the exact number of buildings that fall under the C-1 category which need to be demolished immediately. Last year, of the 475 buildings declared dangerous, 65 structures came under the C-1 category, which are under high-risk and uninhabitable.

Buildings that were declared dangerous have been sent notices stating that the owners or occupants of these dangerous structures have been informed to stop using the premises for residential or commercial purposes. The notices also clearly state that the electrical and water connections of the C-1 category buildings will be disconnected.

As per Section 265 (a) of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act, buildings that have been in use for more than 30 years are required to undergo a structural audit by a construction engineer or structural engineer registered with the NMMC.

The date of the building will be considered from the time when the occupation certificate (fully or partially) was issued.

The civic body will impose a Rs 25,000 penalty for not carrying out the structural audit and submitting the report in time.

The penalty will be collected at the time of the collection of annual property tax. The responsibility of carrying out the structural audit lies with the owners or occupants. Meanwhile, the civic body has made available the list of affiliated engineers for carrying out the structural audit on its official website.