Many incidents have come to light in Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra. Dozens of people have died in this, and hundreds have been injured.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), while releasing data on Saturday, said that between 2018 and 2021, a total of 1,810 serious and partial incidents of the collapse of multi-storey buildings and houses have occurred in Mumbai. In this, a total of 99 people have died, and 376 people have been injured.
228 incidents of structural collapse in Mumbai in the current year
According to Hindustan Times, 99 people have died in a total of 1,810 incidents in four years if we look at the BMC figures.
Similarly, in the current year so far, a total of 228 incidents have taken place, and a total of 21 people have lost their lives. Similarly, 54 people have been injured.
Incidents of building collapses in Mumbai every year have been a cause of great concern for the BMC and the government but have not been resolved.
BMC explained the reason for the collapse of buildings
According to BMC officials and experts, the major reasons for the collapse of many buildings and houses in Mumbai are years-old construction, dilapidated condition, unauthorized construction and non-compliance of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in the construction of buildings.
Of these, verification of unauthorized buildings is also a big challenge for the officials.
According to officials, most dilapidated and year-old buildings fall more in the monsoon.
Officials gave the example of a building that collapsed in Malvani
According to officials, on June 10, a three-storey building collapsed in the Malvani area. A total of 12 people died in this. The top three storeys of this building were illegal in the investigation. The owner was given approval from BMC to construct only one storey building.
In such a situation, it was not made according to the SOP. He said that the biggest reason for the collapse of buildings in Mumbai is illegal construction.
BMC has released the list of 407 dilapidated buildings
BMC officials said they had included 407 buildings in the dilapidated category by conducting a Mumbai survey before the monsoon onset. Of these, 322 buildings are private residential. Warning notices have also been issued to the occupants of these buildings.
Accidents happen due to old construction – Nagalkar
Mumbai’s City-based senior architect Vilas Nagalkar said that a part of the buildings like gallery, staircase or balcony collapses in most cases. The main reason for this is that they were built years ago. He said that the estimated life span of residential construction is 60 years. Many buildings in Mumbai are more than 120 years old. Similarly, due to their being operated on rent, regular maintenance is impossible, and accidents happen due to this.
Area wise study of dilapidated buildings in Mumbai should be done- Indorewala
Hussain Indorewala, Assistant Professor, Kamla Raheja Architecture Institute, said, “It is not very difficult to take measures to prevent the collapse of buildings in Mumbai. For this, the authorities will first have to identify dilapidated or collapsed buildings by conducting a field-wise survey.”
He further said, “After the survey, it will have to be determined whether the building is illegal or if it has been constructed more than the sanctioned. After that, it will have to be resolved in time.”