Thane Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao today appealed to citizens residing in dilapidated and highly dangerous (C1 category) buildings within the Thane Municipal Corporation's jurisdiction to vacate their premises for the remaining monsoon period, especially if the matter is sub-judice.
This appeal was made during a meeting held today to review the safety of such structures. In the TMC area, there were 96 highly dangerous buildings. Of these, 47 have been vacated, and 29 have had their upper floors demolished while retaining the ground floor structure. Approximately 20 buildings are still partially occupied.
In light of the monsoon season, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has instructed that precautions must be taken to prevent any casualties due to building collapses. Commissioner Rao emphasized that this is crucial for the residents' safety. He also noted that the Chief Minister has warned that no leniency will be shown to any officials in case of building accidents during the monsoon.
However, Rao added that if residents are willing to take responsibility, they should carry out repairs and submit photographs of the same to their respective ward committees.
The Commissioner urged that occupants of sub-judice or technically examined buildings in each ward committee's jurisdiction should vacate for the remaining period without interfering with anyone's legal possession. He stressed that the municipality's primary concern is to ensure every citizen's safety and prevent any loss of life.
For buildings that have already received notices for immediate repairs, Rao instructed that stability reports should be submitted by the committees within seven days.