Times of
India: Nagpur: Friday, May 31, 2019.
Majority
of the 1,045 buildings declared unsafe by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation
(NMC) fire and emergency services department after fire incidents are still in
operation though they are yet to comply with fire safety norms.
As
per information obtained under RTI Act by activist TH Naidu, the department has
declared these buildings as unsafe under section 8 (1) of the Maharashtra Fire
Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006. As per norms, these buildings
should not be in use till issuance of fire compliance certificate by the
department.
As
per data available from the department, less than 100 of the 1,045 unsafe
buildings obtained the fire compliance certificate. Of the 211 hospital
buildings that were declared unsafe, 63 have complied with the norms.
Following
the Kamala Mills fire incident in December 2017, the department had issued
notices to 179 restaurants and bars including rooftop restaurants. As per
norms, restaurants are not permissible on rooftop. Bars and restaurants fall
under fire-prone category as they are enclosed places where fire is used for
cooking.
Some
rooftop restaurants including one in Gokul Roshan Commercial Complex at Zenda
Chowk and another on West High Court Road at Dharampeth were closed after
issuance of notices. When TOI did an inspection recently, these rooftop
restaurants were found to be in operation. In fact, none of 179 restaurants and
bars have obtained fire compliance certificate.
The
NMC in its affidavit submitted to the high court had stated, “It is transpired
they are not complying with the notices. Municipal commissioner sent a letter
to excise department not to renew permit without ensuring fire compliance
certificate. Excise department is also not complying with NMC’s directives.”
Some
of the restaurants are functioning in residential buildings which is not at all
permissible. Fine examples are those on Canal Road, Gokulpeth, Shivaji Nagar,
Bajaj Nagar and Abhyankar Nagar. Despite complaints from local residents, no
action has been taken against these establishments.
As
per norms, the department can disconnect power, water supply, seal and vacate
the unsafe buildings and register FIR with the police. The department has asked
agencies concerned to disconnect water and power supply of 605 unsafe buildings
and asked police to register FIR in 19 cases. But none of the unsafe buildings
has been sealed.
Also,
there are many buildings that lack fire systems but not yet declared unsafe.
Some buildings have fire NOC but lack compliance and yet to be declared unsafe.
Chief
fire officer Rajendra Uchake said support of other NMC departments and
government agencies is necessary for taking action beyond declaring the
buildings unsafe. “After conducting inspection or declaring the buildings
unsafe, we had sent letters to NMC zone offices for initiating action but to no
avail. Water and power utilities are delaying action while excise department is
not supporting us. We are also not getting help from police department. We have
made all these submissions before the HC,” he said.
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