In the last four years, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has identified 443 buildings as dangerous, of which 55 have been declared dilapidated. Of the 443 buildings, 373 are still in use while 70 have been vacated.
The corporation has classified the structures under four categories: C-1, C-2A, C-2 B and C-3. Buildings under C-1 are extremely dangerous and unfit for staying, while structures under C-2A need the owners to vacate for undertaking repair work. Buildings classified as C-2B do not need vacating for repairs and those under C-3 require minor repairs.
An official from the encroachment department said 55 buildings have been identified as C-1. “These structures are completely unsafe and have no scope for being repaired. The onion-potato market and JN type buildings in Vashi fall under this category. There is no other way but to demolish them, which the owners will have to do themselves. While 106 buildings have been classified as C-2A, 226 come under C-2B, and 56 under C-3.”
As per the notice being issued to C-1 type structures, the administration has absolved itself of any responsibility in the event of mishap and has instructed for their demolition. “We will disconnect the water supply and electricity to the dilapidated buildings. We have issued enough notices, and hope people take cognisance of them and vacate the buildings to avoid any kind of loss in case of mishap,” NMMC Commissioner N. Ramaswami said.
An NMMC official said the ward offices had sent notice to housing societies to submit their structural audit reports. A few housing societies had also presented their audit reports directly to the town planning department, which were also taken into account while compiling the list of dangerous structures.
In 2018, the number of dangerous buildings was 367, followed by 315 in 2017, 98 in 2016, and 74 in 2015. The highest number of buildings added in one year was in 2017, when it was 143. Officials said the reason for the increase was the inclusion of numerous CIDCO-constructed condominiums and government quarters, which are largely situated in Vashi.
Among the 55 structures are the police quarters in Belapur; Maharashtra State Electricity Board colony, Employee’s State Insurance Corporation colony, JN-1 and JN-2 type buildings, and B type buildings in Vashi; MAFCO market and onion-potato market of APMC; and many other government quarters.
This year, among all the nodes under the NMMC, Vashi has the highest number of dangerous structures at 185.
