There are 475 buildings in Navi Mumbai that have been assigned as ‘dangerous’ to live in.

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has declared 475 buildings dangerous and ordered that they be audited on a regular basis. The civic body has warned that failing to conduct structural audits will result in a Rs 25,000 fine.

The owners or occupants of the dangerous buildings have also been notified that they must vacate the premises. The penalty will be collected at the time the annual property tax is collected.

Following a recent ward-wise survey, the NMMC has issued a list of dangerous buildings in the city under Section 265 of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act (MMCA). Section 264 of the MMCA has issued notices to all 475 buildings.

Before the monsoon, the civic body usually declares a list of dangerous buildings and then appeals to citizens to evacuate before the building collapses, causing loss of life and property.

As many as 65 buildings across the city are classified as C-1 (high risk and uninhabitable) and must be demolished immediately.

According to Section 265 (a) of the MMCA, buildings that have been in use for more than 30 years must have a structural audit performed by a construction engineer or structural engineer registered with the NMMC. The date when the building’s occupation certificate was issued will be considered during the audit.

The civic body will levy a Rs 25,000 fine if the structural audit is not completed and the report is not submitted on time. According to NMMC sources, the onus of carrying out the structural audit is on the owners or occupants.