By Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered the forced evacuation of C1-category dangerous buildings across the state following a building collapse in Bhiwandi that killed nearly 10 people.
The collapse occurred around 11:30 pm on Thursday, July 31, 2026, at the Kohinoor Apartment in Gangaramwadi, Balaji Nagar, Bhiwandi, a four-storey building already declared dilapidated and rated C1, the most dangerous classification.
Around 25 to 30 families had reportedly been evacuated before the structure collapsed, though some residents were still in the basement when it fell.
Fadnavis directed officials to evacuate all C1-rated buildings and authorised force where needed, while acknowledging limitations imposed by the courts.
Thane Municipal Corporation Commissioner Saurabh Rao issued a separate order for immediate re-inspection of deteriorated structures across Thane, calling for formal notices under Section 264 of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act and vacancy and demolition procedures for the most dangerous buildings.
Officials have also been told to disconnect electricity and water for residents resisting evacuation, and to arrange temporary municipal shelter for those without alternative housing.
Maharashtra’s building classification system rates structures from C1, the most dangerous category requiring immediate evacuation, down to C3, which typically requires only repairs rather than vacating the premises.
Rescue teams, including local fire brigade and disaster response personnel, worked through the night after the collapse to pull survivors and victims from the rubble of the Kohinoor Apartment.
Bhiwandi, an industrial town on the outskirts of Mumbai known for its powerloom textile industry, has seen several old and structurally weak buildings flagged as unsafe by municipal authorities in recent years.
The state government’s push follows a pattern seen in other Indian cities, where monsoon-season structural failures of ageing buildings have periodically prompted short-lived enforcement drives that often lapse once the rains end.
Under Section 264 of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act, civic bodies can issue formal notices to residents of dangerous structures, informing them of safety risks and initiating vacancy and demolition procedures.
Photo by Rangakuvara, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
