The Indian Express              27.06.2013

BMC to carry out fresh structural audits of 959 dilapidated buildings

The BMC standing committee has asked the administration to undertake a
fresh audit of the 959 structures declared ‘dangerous and dilapidated’
within 15 days. The decision comes after complaints by citizens that
their recently renovated structures have been categorised as dilapidated
to favour builders.

“We have asked the civic administration to look into these
complaints and give us a report in 15 days. We have also asked the BMC
to conduct another structural audit of the buildings categorised
dangerous and dilapidated,” said standing committee chairman Rahul
Shewale.

The committee also proposed that dilapidated chawls in the suburbs be
allowed an FSI of 3 for redevelopment. Currently, an FSI of 1 is
granted to chawls which can be increased to 2 after builders pay a
premium and transfer of development rights (TDR).

“The redevelopment of chawls in the suburbs is hampered as
the structures get an FSI of 2. Chawl redevelopment in the island city
is given an FSI of 4 while slum redevelopment gets 3. Because of this
discrimination, people continue to live in dilapidated structures. The
state must take a serious view of this,” said BJP leader Dilip Patel.

“With the Rs 300 crore allotted for repairing dilapidated
structures, the corporation can undertake the repairs of even
privately-owned extremely dilapidated structures under section 353 (B)
of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act. As a policy, we have asked the
BMC to carry this out,” he added.

The committee has also asked the corporation to survey all
buildings and present a ‘white paper’. “We want the history of the
building, its current status, information on owners, tenants, and
structural audits. The report should be given to us in a month. The
committee believes a separate department should be created for looking
at these issues,” said Shewale.

The committee has also urged the urban development department to
approve a pending policy which would empower BMC to register and
regulate builders.

Additional municipal commissioner Rajeev Jalota said, “BMC
is working on a policy for redevelopment of private dilapidated
structures. Currently, over 60 engineers from the Building Proposals
department are looking into the issue. There is no need to form a new
department.”