Nagpur: Godowns sans fire NOC, but department has no records

NAGPUR: The fire at a ground-plus-3 storied godown in Itwari’s Maskasath area has brought the functioning of Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s fire and emergency services department under lens.
The department was active in declaring unsafe any high-rise commercial building, hospital or coaching class without firefighting compliance or no-objection certificate. However, it has done nothing in case of godowns in residential areas.
Ganjipeth fire station officer Anil Gole told TOI that his office would probe into the multi-storey building used as godown by Ashok Nachankar’s Jangluji Dhondbaji Enterprises. The godown that caught fire had goods like paint, plastic ropes, carpets etc which is why there was lot of smoke. It did not have any fire NOC or safety apparatus, he said.
“As per records, the building was to be used as residential purpose,” he said. “We will inquire whether the building flouted the sanctioned plan,” he said.
Gole admitted that many such godowns are functioning in residential areas in Central Nagpur, especially in Itwari area, without fire NOC. To a query, he said the Ganjipeth station has no record of the number of godowns functioning without NOC under its jurisdiction. Now, it will launch a special inspection drive to identify such godowns in the locality. If any godowns are found without fire NOCs and proper building plans, Satranjipura zone will be recommended to initiate action under MRTP Act.
Residents of the locality too claimed that most of the mutli-storey buildings have been allegedly converted into godowns without firefighting arrangements.
Already congested, godowns from this part of the city also pose hardships for firefighters to tackle any emergency situations like fire accidents. On Tuesday’s fire, due to congested lanes, the department had to park all the 10 fire tenders and two bowsers almost 300 meters away from the spot, said Gole.
Congress corporator Nitin Sathawane too pointed out that in the recent past many residential premises in Central Nagpur, especially in Itwari and Gandhibagh, have been converted into godowns.
According to him, not only fire department, but the zone office and town planning departments should be vigilant in giving NOC to godowns in residential areas. Till now, the department has been focusing just on commercial complex, hospitals and coaching centres and it does not think twice before giving them NOC, he said.