Thane: 96 “extremely dangerous” buildings identified; Commissioner orders evacuation and disconnection of public services

Thane Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao has issued a directive to promptly shut off water supply, electricity connections and sewerage lines to all occupied buildings deemed highly unsafe in Thane. Additionally, residents must be evacuated quickly to ensure their safety.

Rao asked the deputy commissioners to conduct physical inspections of all buildings classified as extremely dangerous (C1 category) and hazardous (C2A category) in their respective districts in the next two days. Their task includes working with residents to facilitate their rapid resettlement.

The orders follow instructions from Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on monsoon preparedness and complaints from public representatives and citizens of Thane. Rao held a meeting with senior civic officials on Friday. There are 96 extremely dangerous buildings in Thane, of which 37 are occupied: 27 in Naupada and Kopri, one in Majiwada, three in Uthalsar, two in Kalwa and four in Mumbra.

Rao said there should be no delay in action as it involves the lives of citizens. He stressed that it is extremely important to make residents understand and ask them to move to safer places as the intensity of rains may increase at any time.

Read also| The Thane Municipal Corporation is cracking down on illegal and oversized hoardings, ensuring public safety.

The action comes as the slab of a hall on the third floor of the Om Krishna Cooperative Housing Building in Kalwa, Thane, collapsed on the second floor, injuring three residents on Wednesday. The multi-storey building, built around 30 to 35 years ago, had been classified as a Category C1 dangerous structure.

As a precautionary measure, officials of the TMC's encroachment department, along with the disaster management officer, ordered complete evacuation of the building due to its precarious condition. The displaced residents, around 90 to 100 people, moved in temporarily with their relatives as the society had a total of 30 residential units spread over one ground floor and four floors. The authorities have put a danger notice on the building and further action will be taken by the Encroachments Department and PWD regarding its future.
In case of emergency, the civic body will ensure water, electricity and sanitation facilities in its transit camps to avoid any inconvenience to Thanekars.

The civic chief appealed to citizens not to undertake major repairs at their homes during the monsoon season. Companies should not allow such repairs. The use of equipment such as vibrators must be under the supervision of inspectors, as violations have led to accidents during repairs of some buildings.

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