List of nineteen most dangerous buildings in Mumbai revealed

With the posts of both the chairman lying vacant and the absence of a chief officer (CO), the repair and reconstruction board of Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) has become directionless, claim the housing agency officials. For, why then would ' the list of dilapidated and most dangerous buildings' be issued without a formal press conference, as is the regular practice. " As there is no chairman and the CO is on a leave, we do not have any official to conduct any official program, but issuing the list was necessary as May- end is our deadline. And, hence it was issued," said an official from Mhada's repair board.

The list contains 19 most dangerous building throughout the Island City, including the Esplanade Mansion that makes it to the list every year. Although the list has been decreasing every year from 35 in 2009 and 24 to 2010 to 19 in 2011, five buildings are common in all these lists. " The major reason for that is the people are reluctant to vacate the buildings and hence these buildings are included in every year's list" said and official from repair board requesting anonymity.

Every year, before monsoon, Mhada's repair and reconstruction board surveys the dangerous or dilapidated buildings among the nearly 15,000 cessed buildings in the city and categorises them under three categories. In this year's list, nine buildings are in C ward, while B ward has three, E ward has four, A ward, F south and G north has one building respectively.

While the post of the chairman has been vacant since 2009 as Sachin Ahir became the Minister of State for Housing. Since then, the NCP has been unable to find a suitable candidate. While the CO Subhash Hazare has gone on a leave for around 20 days.

Generally the authority sends notices to people living in these dangerous buildings asking them to shift in the alternate transit camp accommodation provided by the repair board. However, many people don't prefer to go to transit camps as firstly they are very far from their current accommodation and they far that once they have shifted from their houses, the repairs won't be completed on schedule.