Nagpur: As many as 30,000 families are living unsafe in about 2,358 buildings abreast in the city. These buildings/ builders have not abided by the prescribed norms of fire-fighting despite repeated notices issued by NMC’s fire department warning them of disconnection of water supply and electricity if they failed to abide by the fire-fighting norms. As they had to comply by the notices, they did something to make an eye-wash.
It is worth mentioning here that last year in a tragic fire accident as many as five members of a single family living in Ajinkya Plaza in Gokulpeth lost their precious lives. Such a tragic incident was overlooked by the NMC’s fire department. It is mandatory on the part of the builders that they must obtain NOC (No objection certificate) from fire fighting department before starting any construction work. Along with obtaining NOC the builders are required to install sufficient number of fire-fighting equipment in the building or apartment, and inform the department to obtain the compliance certificates.
Unfortunately, the builders obtain NOC for the purpose of accomplishment of the construction work, and later they hardly bother about installation of fire-fighting equipment and obtain the compliance certificate. As per details available, the fire-fighting department has issued NOCs to 2,790 buildings during years 1989 to 2014, but only 432 of them have been able to obtain compliance certificate, and remaining 2,358 buildings are still sans compliance certificates.
The present scenario is such that the newly constructed buildings are growing like mushroom in the city, and their number was maximum last year. As several families are dwelling in the buildings, their number may be about 2,500. If 12 families happen to reside in each building, the number of individuals dwelling therein may amount to 30,000 approximately, but the lives of all of them are unsafe.
The builders have obtained NOC from the fire-fighting for construction purpose, but they have not applied to the fire-fighting department for obtaining compliance certificates. A journalistic investigation in this context reveals that such a mess has been going on for past 25 years. The powerless fire-fighting department can do nothing except serving the notices to the builders/ indwellers. It is felt that it must cause a major concern to the civic administration.
– Rajeev Ranjan Kushwaha ( rajeev.nagpurtoday@gmail.com )
