Nagpur: Your life is at risk while visiting malls, marriage halls and other high-rise buildings in the city, as per the latest inspection report of the fire and emergency services department (FESD) of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). The report tagged 782 of the 1,759 such high-rises (over 15 meters high) in the city as ‘unsafe’, in the absence of adequate firefighting equipment and advised occupants to vacate them immediately. The inspection was carried out from April 31, 2017, to March 31, 2018.
The department has also instructed NMC’s water works department and Orange City Water Limited to disconnect water supply to 372 buildings. It has also issued a similar directive to the Maharashtra State Electricity Development Corporation and SNDL Limited, to snap power supply to these structures.
TOI has been highlighting on many occasions how firefighting arrangements are not in place in most high-rise and commercial buildings. As per the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act 2006, owners and builders violating the norms could be jailed for six months to a year.
Though the fire department has informed MSEDCL and OCW of the status of such buildings, both the agencies continue to supply power and water to them. Now, the fire department has approached municipal commissioner Virendra Singh to convene a meeting in the coming days.
Most such high-rises are yet to even install firefighting systems. As per the report, many residential and commercial high-rises fall under the ‘unsafe’ category.
According to a senior official, these over 15-meter-high buildings lack appropriate side margin, have no emergency staircases, and the main staircase is not free of obstructions. Besides, firefighting installations like wet riser, hose reel and sprinkler system were missing. Most buildings were also not constructed as per national building code, the fire department official said.
These buildings have been declared unsafe under Maharashtra Fire Safety and Prevention Act, 2006. A senior official from the department said notices were issued to all property owners, for failure to comply with the fire safety norms, and directing them to undertake measures regarding fire prevention and life safety.
The apathetic bureaucratic machinery means that even though all 782 buildings were declared unsafe, they continue to be functional with people living or working in them.
