Mumbai Building Repairs & Reconstruction Board (MBRRB) is in charge of the city's dilapidated buildings. In the midst of the lockdown, Satish Lokhande, CEO of the board, is monitoring work and coordinating with his team via WhatsApp. He tells The Free Press Journal's Sweety Adimulam, that all emergency building repairs are being taken care of.
Work is at a standstill worldwide due to coronavirus, so how is the MBRRB taking care of pre-monsoon structural audits of old and dangerous buildings?
We have instructed all heads of departments and engineers to be available on phone 24x7. They have been asked to coordinate with the panel architects and contractors to undertake emergency-related work.
It's true that routine work has been stalled but all emergency work is being handled promptly. Moreover, the team has been asked to update all important information via WhatsApp groups, to initiate necessary action. The control room staff work in shifts, always available to respond to emergency calls.
Generally, for all repair work, government agencies float tenders. How does this work during a lockdown?
In the MBRRB Act, there is a provision to get work done by empanelled architects and contractors during emergencies. For instance, if a portion of a building is reported to be dangerous and needs to be fixed immediately, to avert human tragedy, the MBRRB will not wait for tenders to be floated. It can get the work done from the already-appointed architects and contractors.
Later, when things are settled, post-work order approvals can be issued. There was a situation like this recently, in Mahim Kapda Bazaar, earlier this month. On April 1, an emergency call was made to the control room, saying a portion of a building had collapsed.
The concerned area engineer issued work orders on WhatsApp and on the same day, repair was taken up. Police were informed and with their help, shops with construction raw material were asked to open, to facilitate purchase.
In Mumbai, there are around 14,000 cessed buildings. How have repairs to these been affected in this pandemic situation?
Throughout the year, the board is continuously engaged in repairing old, dilapidated buildings. We do not carry out work before the monsoon. It is true that before the onset of monsoon, as a precautionary measure, we issue eviction notices to the residents of extremely dangerous buildings.
But I reiterate, every zone officer has a list of all buildings in their respective areas and they regularly keep a check on those structures and provide updates on the group.
Moreover, based on the previous year's dangerous buildings report, action has already been taken. We have also written to the joint police commissioner of Mumbai to provide necessary assistance to staffers out on emergency building repair work.
The MBRRB is facing a financial crisis. Will it seek monetary assistance from the state?
The board has annual budget of nearly Rs 100 crore. Due to the lockdown, the money has not been utilised fully. As of now, it is not an issue and being managed at the MHADA-level.
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