{"id":2903,"date":"2026-07-18T12:44:46","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T12:44:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=2903"},"modified":"2026-07-18T12:44:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T12:44:46","slug":"mumbai-building-redevelopment-why-maharashtras-mhada-act-amendment-could-be-a-turning-point-for-mumbais-ageing-buildings-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=2903","title":{"rendered":"Mumbai Building Redevelopment: Why Maharashtra’s MHADA Act amendment could be a turning point for Mumbai’s ageing buildings – explained"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Mhada’s pre-monsoon survey has identified 82 highly dangerous old buildings in Mumbai’s island city (Representative image)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

For lakhs of Mumbaikars, living in an old building is more than an inconvenience\u2014it’s a daily safety concern. Every monsoon brings fresh fears of structural cracks, partial collapses and evacuation notices, while redevelopment projects often remain stuck in legal battles for years.Now, the Maharashtra government has taken a major legislative step that could help unlock the redevelopment of thousands of such buildings.The state legislature has passed an amendment to the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) Act to revive the implementation of Section 79A, a provision designed to fast-track the redevelopment of dangerous buildings.The Bill has been cleared by both the Vidhan Sabha and the Vidhan Parishad and is awaiting the Governor’s assent before becoming law. However, even after that, its implementation will depend on the Supreme Court’s final decision on the validity of Sections 79A and 79B, which remains pending.<\/p>\n

Why was the amendment needed?<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

The amendment aims to resolve a legal ambiguity that led the Bombay High Court to stay the implementation of Section 79A nearly a year ago.The controversy centred on who had the authority to issue notices under the provision. The earlier law referred to a “competent authority”, which became the basis of the legal challenge.The amendment replaces that wording with officers specifically empowered by MHADA, giving them explicit authority to exercise powers under Section 79A.This seemingly technical change is significant because the Bombay High Court had stayed around 935 notices issued by MHADA after observing apparent legal infirmities in the process.The Maharashtra government now hopes the amendment will strengthen its case before the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n

What are Sections 79A and 79B?<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

Sections 79A and 79B were introduced in 2020<\/span> to tackle one of Mumbai’s oldest urban problems\u2014unsafe buildings that remain trapped in redevelopment disputes.The provisions allow MHADA to intervene when landlords fail to redevelop dangerous buildings.More importantly, they also empower tenants to take the redevelopment process forward themselves, provided at least 51% of occupants consent.The objective is to prevent redevelopment from being indefinitely delayed because of disputes between landlords and tenants or prolonged litigation.<\/p>\n

Why does this matter for Mumbai?<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

The amendment has implications for more than 13,000 cessed buildings across Mumbai, many of which were built before 1940.These buildings house lakhs of families and have remained caught in redevelopment delays for decades due to landlord-tenant disputes, court cases and unwillingness among some landlords to undertake redevelopment.Many of these structures are categorised as old and structurally vulnerable, making redevelopment not just an urban planning issue but also a public safety concern.<\/p>\n

A problem written in tragedy<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

The push for stronger redevelopment laws has been shaped by a series of deadly building collapses.Sections 79A and 79B were introduced after several fatal incidents, including:<\/p>\n

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