(1)If it appears to the Chief Municipal Officer that any block of buildings is in an unhealthy condition by reason of the manner in which the buildings are crowded together or the narrowness, closeness, or faulty arrangement of streets or the want of proper drainage and ventilation or the impracticability of cleansing the buildings or by reason of any other cause to be specified in writing, he shall cause such block of buildings to be inspected by the Chief Municipal Health Officer and the Chief Municipal Engineer, who shall consult the owners and the occupiers of such block of buildings and the owners and the occupiers of other buildings affected by the unhealthy condition and shall, thereafter, make a report, in writing, to him regarding the sanitary condition of such block of buildings.(2)If, upon receipt of the report under sub-section (1), the Chief Municipal Officer considers that the sanitary condition of such block or building is likely to cause risk of disease to the inhabitants of the buildings or the neighbourhood or otherwise to endanger the community health, he shall, with the approval of the Empowered Standing Committee, select the buildings which, in his opinion, should wholly or in part be removed in order to abate the unhealthy condition of such block of buildings, and may, thereupon, by notice, in writing, require the owners of such buildings to remove them within such period as may be specified in the notice:Provided that before issuing the notice, a reasonable opportunity shall be given to the owners to show cause, either in writing or in person, why the buildings should not be removed:Provided further that the Chief Municipal Officer shall, for the removal of any such building, which may have been erected lawfully, pay compensation to the owner for any such building.(3)If the notice under sub-section (2) requiring any owner of a building to remove such building is not complied with, then, after the expiration of the period specified in the notice, the Chief Municipal Officer may himself remove the building and recover from the owner of the building the expenses of such removal as an arrear of tax under this Act.
