July 24, 2025: In a recent audit, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has flagged serious lapses in how Mumbai’s civic authorities manage the identification and oversight of dangerous buildings, raising concerns about public safety in the city’s aging infrastructure.
The CAG report reveals a disturbing lack of accountability, stating that only one of the eight audited city divisions submitted a list of hazardous or dilapidated buildings. Kalachowki Division was the sole respondent, reporting 248 such structures. However, further examination revealed that 76 of these buildings had already been demolished, redeveloped, or were undergoing redevelopment—highlighting outdated and inaccurate data.
The city is home to thousands of aging “cessed buildings”—structures built before 1969 that contribute to a repair fund managed by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA). Under the MHADA Act, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is legally required to maintain updated records of buildings deemed ruinous or at risk of collapse, particularly those that have received notices.
Despite this mandate, the CAG found that only the Kalachowki Division had any documented information, indicating a larger systemic failure in record-keeping and compliance. Additionally, the audit criticized the Mumbai Building Repairs and Reconstruction Board (MBR&RB)—a MHADA body responsible for cessed buildings—for relying on superficial visual inspections instead of conducting proper technical structural audits.
In response to the audit, the government stated that “directions have now been issued to all Executive Engineers of MHADA to obtain accurate lists of dangerous buildings from their respective ward offices,” signaling a delayed but crucial step toward improving oversight and public safety.
Source: Prop News Time
