[(1) Where the Competent Authority is satisfied that-
(a) any area is or may be a source of danger to the health, safety or convenience of the public of that area or of its neighbourhood, by reason of the area having inadequate or no basic amenities, or being insanitary, squalid, overcrowded or otherwise; or
(b) the buildings in any area, used or intended to be used for human habitation are-
(i) in any respect, unfit for human habitation; or
(ii) by reasons of dilapidation, overcrowding, faulty arrangement and design of such building, narrowness or faulty arrangement of streets, lack of ventilation, light or sanitation facilities or any combination of these factors, detrimental to the health, safety or convenience of the public of that area,
the Competent Authority may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare such area to be a slum area. Such declaration shall also be published in such other manner (as will give due publicity to the declaration in the area) as may be prescribed.]
[Explanation.- For the purposes of clause (b), the expression "buildings" shall not include,-
(a) cessed buildings in the island City of Mumbai as defined in clause (7) of section 2 of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Act, 1976 (Mah. XXVIII of 1977), or old buildings belonging to the Corporation;
(b) buildings constructed with permission of the relevant authority at any point of time;
(c) any building in an area taken up under the Urban Renewal Scheme.]
(2) In determining whether buildings are unfit for human habitation for the purposes of this Act, regard shall be had to the condition thereof in respect of the following matters, that is to say,-
(a) repairs;
(b) stability;
(c) freedom from damp;
(d) natural light and air;
(e) provision for water-supply;
(f) provision for drainage and sanitary conveniences;
(g) facilities for the disposal of waste water;
and the building shall be deemed to be unfit as aforesaid, if, and only if, it is so far defective in one or more of the said matters that it is not reasonably suitable for occupation in that condition.
(3) Any person aggrieved by a declaration made under sub-section (1) may, within thirty days after the date of such declaration in the Official Gazette, appeal to the Tribunal. [No such appeal filed after the expiry of thirty days as aforesaid shall be entertained.]
[(4) When an appeal is presented under sub-section (3), the Tribunal shall, by a public notice published in a newspaper in the Marathi language circulating in the local area in which the slum area situated and also displayed at some conspicuous place in the slum area, call upon the residents of the slum area to file their objections, if any, to the appeal within a period of fifteen days from the date of publication of such public notice in the newspaper as aforesaid, either by themselves or through any association of residents in the slum area of which they are members.
(5) On expiry of the period of fifteen days as aforesaid the Tribunal shall fix a day for hearing the appeal and inform the appellant about the same by letter under certificate of posting and the residents of the slum area by displaying the notice of hearing at some conspicuous place in the slum area and upon hearing the appellant and the residents or representative of their association in the slum area, if present, or on considering the written objections, if any, made by such residents or association, if absent, the Tribunal may, subject to the provisions of sub-section (6), make an order either confirming, modifying or rescinding the declaration; and the decision of the Tribunal shall be final.
Explanation.- For the purposes of sub-section (4) and this sub-section, the expression "any association of residents in the slum area" means a society, if any, of such residents registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 (XXI of 1860) or under the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1960 (Mah. XXI of 1961).
(6) While deciding the appeal the Tribunal shall ignore the works of improvement executed in such slum area by any agency of the Government or any local authority after the declaration thereof as such slum area by the Competent Authority under sub-section (1).]