Every year before the monsoon, civic authorities in Mumbai identify buildings considered unsafe and advise occupants to vacate them. The lists issued by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) cover ageing structures that could pose risks to residents and property during the rainy season.
A building is generally classified as dangerous or dilapidated when its structural condition has deteriorated to a level that could threaten life or property. Factors can include ageing, corrosion of reinforcement, weakened foundations, damaged structural members, water seepage and prolonged lack of maintenance.
How Mumbai Identifies Unsafe Buildings
The BMC conducts surveys of old and vulnerable structures across its jurisdiction, while MHADA carries out pre-monsoon inspections of cessed buildings under its control, mainly in South and Central Mumbai.
Following structural assessments, buildings are placed into different categories based on their condition. C1 structures are considered highly dangerous and require immediate evacuation and demolition. C2A buildings require occupants to vacate for structural repairs, while C2B buildings need repairs but do not require evacuation. C3 structures require minor repairs and can remain occupied.
The classification system is intended to reduce the risk of building collapses and other structural accidents during heavy rainfall. Mumbai has recorded incidents involving building failures, wall collapses and other structural damage, particularly in ageing properties that have not undergone timely repairs or redevelopment.
Impact on Residents
For families living in such buildings, evacuation can create financial and logistical difficulties. Many occupants have lived in these properties for years and are reluctant to move because of their proximity to workplaces, schools and established neighbourhoods.
Eligible occupants of cessed buildings can receive transit accommodation from MHADA until redevelopment is completed. However, disputes and resistance over relocation can sometimes delay evacuation and subsequently affect redevelopment timelines.
Different agencies handle unsafe buildings across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region depending on ownership and jurisdiction. Apart from the BMC and MHADA, bodies such as the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), CIDCO and other public agencies conduct structural assessments and undertake evacuation or redevelopment measures under their respective regulations.
MHADA Lists 82 Dangerous Buildings
In May 2026, MHADA’s Mumbai Building Repairs and Reconstruction Board released a list of 82 residential buildings in South and Central Mumbai requiring immediate evacuation. The list followed the authority’s pre-monsoon structural survey and included 43 buildings that had also been classified as highly dangerous the previous year.
Separately, NMMC identified 34 buildings in its jurisdiction as highly dangerous C1 structures and directed occupants to vacate them.
The BMC, however, is yet to release its list of dilapidated buildings for the current year.
Source: Hindustan Times
