MHADA to Conduct Structural Audit of 1,000 Cessed Buildings in Mumbai by March 2025
The growing concerns surrounding the safety of Mumbai’s aging buildings, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has announced a major initiative to conduct the structural audit of 1,000 cessed buildings by March 2025. This audit is part of the Maharashtra government’s 100-day action plan aimed at improving the city’s housing infrastructure and ensuring the safety of its residents.
The structural audit is crucial for identifying potential risks associated with the deteriorating conditions of Mumbai’s cessed buildings. Many of these buildings, which were built decades ago, are in dire need of repair or redevelopment. MHADA Vice President and CEO, Sanjeev Jaiswal, has urged officials to fast-track the process to ensure that these audits are completed on time. During a recent review meeting with the Mumbai Building Repairs and Reconstruction Board, Jaiswal highlighted the importance of this initiative, stressing that it will help assess both the safety and redevelopment needs of these ageing structures.
Currently, the government’s action plan includes the structural audit of 500 buildings, with 171 audits already completed and reports for 32 buildings received. Jaiswal has instructed MHADA officials to appoint structural consultants and to initiate the audit of around 13,000 cessed buildings over the next year. These audits will determine whether these buildings are fit for habitation or in need of urgent repairs or redevelopment. Furthermore, MHADA is also addressing the concerns of residents living in transit camps, with a biometric survey of 20,000 commercial unit holders set to be completed by the end of March. This will allow MHADA to categorise the occupants into groups A, B, and C as per the state government’s directive. These efforts are aimed at providing clarity and ensuring that transit camp residents are properly accounted for in future redevelopment plans.
The government has also been working on strengthening the administration of Mumbai’s cessed buildings, and as part of this effort, Jaiswal has directed executive engineers to issue notices under Section 79(A)(1)(A) for all 13,000 cessed buildings under the Mumbai Board’s jurisdiction. This move aims to expedite the redevelopment process and ensure that the city’s infrastructure keeps pace with the growing demand for residential space. For residents like Meera Iyer, who lives in one of Mumbai’s many old buildings, these measures come as a relief. “I’ve been living here for years, and every monsoon, I fear the worst. The cracks in the walls are getting worse, and the building is becoming unsafe. I hope this audit can lead to the redevelopment of our building soon,” she says.
The Mumbai Building Repairs and Reconstruction Board, along with MHADA, is under pressure to accelerate the redevelopment of dilapidated buildings, which pose a significant risk to the safety of their inhabitants. With an increasing population in Mumbai and more people moving into transit camps, ensuring the safety of these structures is more urgent than ever. Through these structural audits and subsequent redevelopment projects, MHADA aims to improve the living conditions of thousands of Mumbai’s residents, provide safer homes, and address the city’s chronic housing crisis. As the audits progress, Mumbai’s aging infrastructure will hopefully be revitalised, offering a safer, more secure living environment for its residents.
