Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Jul 10: The Maharashtra legislature has approved an amendment to the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Act (MHADA Act), paving the way for faster redevelopment of Mumbai's ageing cessed buildings and addressing legal hurdles that had delayed several projects.
The amendment seeks to remove ambiguities in the implementation of Section 79A, an issue that had led the Bombay High Court to stay its enforcement in a large number of cases.
Under the revised law, the term "Competent Authority" has been replaced with a provision clearly authorising officers specifically designated by MHADA to exercise powers under Section 79A. The government believes the change will provide a stronger legal foundation for redevelopment proceedings.
The amendment follows the Bombay High Court's decision last year to stay nearly 935 notices issued by MHADA under Section 79A after observing that the powers may have been exercised without explicit legal authorisation.
Mumbai is home to more than 13,000 cessed buildings, many constructed before 1940 and occupied by lakhs of residents. Redevelopment of these ageing structures has remained stalled for years because of disputes between landlords and tenants, prolonged legal battles and the unwillingness of some property owners to undertake reconstruction despite the deteriorating condition of the buildings.
Sections 79A and 79B were incorporated into the MHADA Act in 2020 following a series of fatal building collapses in the city, including the Husaini Building collapse in 2017, the Dongri building collapse in 2019 and the Fort building collapse in 2020.
The provisions empower MHADA to intervene when owners fail to redevelop unsafe buildings. They also allow tenants to take charge of redevelopment projects if they secure the consent of at least 51 per cent of occupants.
The urgency of redevelopment is underscored by data obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act by social activist Jitendra Ghadge, which shows that Mumbai recorded 345 incidents of complete or partial building collapses between 2021 and August 2025, leading to eight deaths and 28 injuries.
MHADA's own records further reveal that building collapses claimed 815 lives in Mumbai between 1970 and 2018, highlighting the continuing risks posed by ageing and structurally unsafe buildings and the need to expedite redevelopment efforts.