Mhada To Reduce The Landlord Roleplay
The problem of redeveloping old and dilapidated cessed buildings in the island city continues to nip at the heels of the Maharashtra Housing Area Development Authority. While officials agree that death traps like Rahim Manzil in Pydhonie, which collapsed early Thursday morning, have to be razed, the ground reality is an altogether different story. More often than not, tenants are at the mercy of the landlord, whose approval and monetary inputs are required before any building repair can go ahead. But the development authority is planning to take the proverbial bull by its horns and introduce an amendment to the Mhada Act, 1976 that will curtail the powers of the landlord.
Mhada’s Mumbai Building Repair and Reconstruction Board (MBRRB) has proposed to do away with the provision that states that the landlord’s consent is required before a building can be repaired or redeveloped. If the amendment—currently being discussed in the state housing department—is passed, Mhada will be able to acquire a cessed building once it receives the consent of 70% of the tenants. A cessed building is declared beyond repair if the cost to repair the dilapidated structure goes over Rs 2,000 per sq m.
Subhash Hazare, chief officer of the building repair and reconstruction board said the amendment would ease tenants’ woes. “Redevelopment of these cessed buildings is the only solution. Besides, the civic body insists that societies carry out a structural audit of their buildings,’’ said Hazare.
Often, however, like in the case of Rahim Manzil, residents refuse to vacate their homes. “We use police force only when all other options have failed.’’ said an official.
Officials from the building repair and reconstruction board said that Rahim Manzil was not in the list of dangerous building surveyed by MBRRB prior to the monsoons. However, it needed a lot of structural repair.
A work order had been issued for repairs worth Rs 4.5 lakh on January 21, 2011, said officials, adding that work on the building was delayed. The owner had allegedly requested the contractor to delay repair work as he was expecting guests from abroad, said another official.
Mhada considers two aspects before declaring a building to be ‘dangerous’. “With a few exceptions, most buildings constructed prior to the 1940s have lived past their age. Such buildings are located mostly in Pydhonie and the Bhendi Bazaar area,” said Hazare. “A building is deemed dangerous if we notice visual defects like a branch growing on the walls, seepage, etc on the façade.Taking both these aspects into account, we ask tenants to vacate the building and relocate to transit camps at the earliest,” said Hazare, adding that it is not possible to verify any internal structural changes.
Mhada’s Mumbai Building Repair and Reconstruction Board (MBRRB) has proposed to do away with the provision that states that the landlord’s consent is required before a building can be repaired or redeveloped. If the amendment—currently being discussed in the state housing department—is passed, Mhada will be able to acquire a cessed building once it receives the consent of 70% of the tenants. A cessed building is declared beyond repair if the cost to repair the dilapidated structure goes over Rs 2,000 per sq m.
Subhash Hazare, chief officer of the building repair and reconstruction board said the amendment would ease tenants’ woes. “Redevelopment of these cessed buildings is the only solution. Besides, the civic body insists that societies carry out a structural audit of their buildings,’’ said Hazare.
Often, however, like in the case of Rahim Manzil, residents refuse to vacate their homes. “We use police force only when all other options have failed.’’ said an official.
Officials from the building repair and reconstruction board said that Rahim Manzil was not in the list of dangerous building surveyed by MBRRB prior to the monsoons. However, it needed a lot of structural repair.
A work order had been issued for repairs worth Rs 4.5 lakh on January 21, 2011, said officials, adding that work on the building was delayed. The owner had allegedly requested the contractor to delay repair work as he was expecting guests from abroad, said another official.
Mhada considers two aspects before declaring a building to be ‘dangerous’. “With a few exceptions, most buildings constructed prior to the 1940s have lived past their age. Such buildings are located mostly in Pydhonie and the Bhendi Bazaar area,” said Hazare. “A building is deemed dangerous if we notice visual defects like a branch growing on the walls, seepage, etc on the façade.Taking both these aspects into account, we ask tenants to vacate the building and relocate to transit camps at the earliest,” said Hazare, adding that it is not possible to verify any internal structural changes.
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