The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has launched a significant initiative to carry out structural audits of 1,000 cessed buildings in Mumbai by March 2025. This is part of the Maharashtra government’s 100-day action plan, aimed at evaluating the safety and stability of aging structures across the city.
Cessed buildings are old tenanted structures under the management of MHADA’s Mumbai Building Repairs and Reconstruction Board (MBRRB). These buildings, many of which are in a deteriorating condition due to age and lack of proper maintenance, are funded by a cess tax paid by tenants. The audit initiative comes in response to growing concerns over the structural integrity of these buildings, particularly as Mumbai’s monsoon season poses a heightened risk of damage or collapse.
The overarching goal of MHADA is to audit all 13,000 cessed buildings in Mumbai, with the initial phase involving 1,000 buildings by March 2025. The remaining buildings will be assessed over the course of the next financial year. The agency is employing a phased approach to ensure that the audits are carried out systematically, allowing for timely interventions and repairs where necessary.
MHADA Vice President and CEO Sanjeev Jaiswal has urged officials to expedite the audit process by appointing structural consultants and planning the assessments efficiently. A recent review meeting at MHADA’s headquarters emphasized the importance of these audits in identifying buildings that may need urgent repairs or even redevelopment. According to Jaiswal, the structural audits will provide valuable insights into the condition of Mumbai’s cessed buildings, which are often in poor health due to years of neglect.
The structural audits will help determine which buildings require immediate intervention, those that can be partially strengthened, and those that may pose a danger to residents and need to be vacated. This process is especially critical considering that the city’s monsoon season often exposes the weaknesses in such buildings, which are more susceptible to severe damage during heavy rains and storms.
In addition to the structural audits, MHADA has introduced an online system aimed at simplifying the management of lease deeds and the conveyance of buildings and plots within its jurisdiction. The new system is designed to eliminate manual processes, increase efficiency, and reduce delays for citizens and housing societies. Many of the areas under MHADA’s oversight consist of old and deteriorating housing colonies that require redevelopment. Proper documentation, including clear ownership through conveyance, is essential for initiating redevelopment projects in these areas.
The online system will allow housing societies to submit necessary documents digitally, including self-declaration forms, which will help speed up the approval process. Officials have also been tasked with creating a standardized submission format to ensure consistency and transparency throughout the process.
Alongside the digital reforms, MHADA is working on developing a standard operating procedure (SOP) to streamline the process for lease agreements. The SOP will provide a clear list of required documents, ensuring that lease agreements are processed efficiently through a single-window system. By digitizing these procedures, MHADA aims to improve service delivery and make housing management more accessible to Mumbai residents.
Together, the structural audit initiative and the digital reforms represent a major step towards improving the management and redevelopment of cessed buildings in Mumbai. By addressing the issues of structural safety and streamlining administrative procedures, MHADA aims to enhance the quality of housing and ensure the safety of residents in the city.
