Surat, May 28 (NationPress) As unseasonal rains impact Surat and the onset of the monsoon approaches, the city's municipal authorities are in a race to tackle an ongoing urban danger — dilapidated buildings.

With only a few weeks remaining before the rains become more severe, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has intensified its efforts to address structurally unsafe properties, especially in the vulnerable Limbayat area.

Annually, the SMC conducts a thorough evaluation of the city’s aging infrastructure in preparation for the monsoon season. Notices are sent to property owners, requiring them to undertake repairs or demolish hazardous buildings.

This year, the urgency is heightened due to the early arrival of the rains.

SMC data indicates that 1,563 properties throughout the city are still pending repair, while 91 have been classified as dangerously dilapidated, posing a significant threat to residents and adjacent structures.

Recently, a dangerous residential building in Kumbhariya village within the Limbayat zone was voluntarily demolished after discussions with the owners.

This demolition is part of a focused initiative aimed at reducing potential casualties during the monsoon. Additionally, officials removed an unstable balcony from a building in Jalaram Nagar, Dindoli, demonstrating the administration’s essential interventions.

Authorities have stated that more demolitions and safety actions are planned as they work against the clock — and the impending weather — to lessen urban risks in one of Gujarat's most flood-prone areas.

Vadodara is facing a similar issue, with 1,012 buildings identified as structurally unsound, particularly in the Char Darwaja region. Residents have voiced concerns over possible collapses, but municipal actions have been insufficient, allowing many of these buildings to remain.

In Ahmedabad, the situation is exacerbated by the deterioration of government-built housing for Economically Weaker Sections.

Significantly, 1,664 houses in Vatva were demolished after remaining unoccupied for over a decade and being found to be structurally unsafe.

Almost half of the 18,928 units constructed under the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Scheme have shown structural problems over the past 12 years.

Rural areas aren’t immune to this crisis either, with data revealing that 2,433 gram panchayats in Gujarat either lack buildings or have structures in a state of disrepair.