68 govt buildings without firefighting infra

Nagpur: As many as 68 government buildings were found to be lacking necessary firefighting infrastructure by fire and emergency services team of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) during its fire audit.
These government buildings included South Central Zone Cultural Centre, NIT’s ground plus four storey building off Railway Station Road, Government Printing Press (Civil Lines), G+2 storey building of Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (Civil Lines), CGST and Central Excise premises (Telangkhedi), office of the deputy chief architect (state PWD Nagpur, north wing), NMC-run schools in Bijli Nagar and at Futala.

“Of the 68 buildings, we have also declared 51 unsafe due to almost zero firefighting infrastructure,” said a senior official from the department. The audit was carried out by personnel from nine fire stations, the official added.
The fire audit of bungalows occupied by class-I gazetted officers being maintained by state PWD also revealed lack of firefighting arrangements.
The survey was conducted after recent strictures passed by the high court directing the state public works department to ensure fire-fighting arrangements in place at Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital and GMCH.
Till date, the department has isssued fire NOC to 202 buildings and establishments across the corporation limits. In most of the government buildings, ABC type extinguishers, CO2 type extinguisher, wet riser system, hose box, hose pipe, branch and hose reel, fire alarm panel system, automatic sprinkler system were not found.
Similar is the situation in almost all the premises of government and semigovernment buildings, the official added.
To implement the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act (MFPLSMA), 2006, effectively, the department has started taking stringent action like prosecuting defaulters in courts. So far, the department has filed prosecution cases against over 70 owners for ignoring the act.
Of the 51 unsafe buildings, the department has sent recommendations to both Orange City Water Limited and MSEDCL to disconnect power and water supply connections to 21 buildings, while in two cases, city police stations have been intimated to take action.