Nagpur: Ruffled by the Fire Brigade notice declaring the Sitabuldi-based Fortune Mall “unsafe,” the owner resorted to a damage control exercise by initiating a slew of firefighting measures and ‘requested’ the Fire Department to inspect the Mall again.
On May 27, 2016, the Fire Department of Nagpur Municipal Corporation had inspected the Fortune Mall situated in Sitabuldi. After the inspection, the Fire Brigade had declared the imposing Mall “unsafe” as it lacked many firefighting features despite several notices. A fresh notice with a warning that water and power supply would be snapped to the Mall unless firefighting measures were not taken within the stipulated period. Responding to the notice, the owner of Fortune Mall sent a letter to Fire Department on June 15 and requested it to inspect the mall again.
The Fire Department received the letter on June 18. The Chief Fire Officer, on June 21, directed an official named Sudhakar Kale to inspect the Fortune Mall within the next three days and submit his report accordingly. The next course of action would be decided based on the inspection report.
According to sources, the letter sent by owner of the Fortune Mall contained the following information:
• Basement sprinkler system piping work is going on.
• Sprinkler system work has been done at upper basement in passage area.
• Sprinkler system piping has been completed in ground floor lobby area.
• Sprinkler system piping work has been done in the first floor.
• Second floor is not occupied.
• Third floor is not occupied.
• Fourth floor is not occupied.
Similarly, the letter stated that the construction of underground water tank (1.5 lakh ltrs) and overhead water tank ( 25000 ltrs) is completed. All firefighting system work has been done as per provisional NOC.
It is pertinent to recall that Nagpur Today had flashed a report titled ‘Fortune Mall housing Shree Shivam in Sitabuldi declared unsafe by NMC-Fire Department” wherein it was stated that the builders of Fortune Mall while displaying brazenness had repeatedly ignored the notices of the NMC-Fire Department to install safety equipment and fire installations as mentioned in the statutory norms while constructing a commercial complex. On June 1, 2016, the authorities of NMC Fire Department declared the Fortune Mall as ‘unsafe’. A last notice giving one-week’s time has been granted to the builder to adhere to the norms and install all safety measures including fire-equipments in the mall. Failing to adhere to the notice, the authorities have decided to start with severing the water and electricity supply to the building and later seal the building.
The Fortune Mall has four floors.
1. In the Lower Ground Floor there are 130 shops of which 4 shops are running
2. In the Upper Ground Floor there are 126 shops of which 4 are running
3. The First Floor is occupied by Shree Shivam
4. Construction of an office is underway in the Second Floor.
5. Only RCC work has been completed.
