DNA Impact: BMC concedes to need for structural audit of collapsed Chembur building

After a storey of Chembur's Mithul Enclave had caved in last month, the Additional Municipal Commissioner (special) has asked the residents of the society to get a structural audit done by an engineer registered with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The commissioner said the BMC can only conduct the structural audit of a building if it is more than 30 years old.

DNA had earlier reported that the residents of the floor that caved in, a family of four, is still in a state of shock. Their living room caved in almost three to four feet on the night of March 25. The family feels scared to return to their home now. The BMC's M-East ward officer, however, claims that the building is safe to reside in, as per their observation.

Nidhi Choudhary, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Special), said, "The residents of Chembur Mithul Enclave society should get an structural audit of their building done by a BMC-registered engineer. This will give them a clear picture about the safety of the building. BMC norms do not permit officials to carry an audit unless the structure is at least 30 years old. While, by the look of it, the building seems quite old, there's no certainty about it yet. Once the structural audit is done, there will be clearer picture of which category the building belongs to. If it's found to be unsafe, the society members will have to inform the MCGM and we will categories it accordingly. If it is safe, they will have to seek the approval of BMC before beginning any repair work."