Bombay High Court orders BMC to submit details of fire safety measures in view of increasing incidents
Mumbai: In view of the increasing number of fire incidents in high-rise buildings in the city, the Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to file an affidavit detailing its steps to deal with the fire emergency in Mumbai. Describe your measures and standard operations. Procedure (SOP) to be followed by the civic body.
A division bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyay and Justice Arif Doctor also asked the BMC to provide information about the number of existing fire stations, staff deployed and the response time taken by the authorities after the fire.
PIL demanding implementation of safety rules in sensitive buildings
The high court was hearing a 2019 PIL filed by advocates Abha Singh and Aditya Pratap Singh, seeking enforcement of safety rules in buildings vulnerable to man-made disasters.
During the hearing on Friday, government lawyer Jyoti Chavan presented a deadline for notifying the new fire safety rules and regulations, which is May 20, 2024. Chavan said the action plan was prepared by the Principal Secretary of the Urban Development Department (UDD). It has been sent to the Chief Minister for approval and is expected by January 15, 2024.
The government drafted special security rules after the 26/11 terrorist attacks in the city in 2008. These rules were notified in February 2009, and later, the government invited objections and suggestions from the public. After the public submitted their suggestions and objections, nothing further was done.
The court questioned the government
“After the committee’s recommendation, you (the government) did not take even a single step. The first step would be to invite suggestions (from the public). Why do you have to wait for court orders? If you had taken steps, these (safety rules) would have been published by now,” the CJ said.
As per the timeline submitted by the state, the notice of inclusion of safeguard rules in the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR) and Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR), 2034 is expected by January 22, 2024. will be adopted by the Town Planning Authority and the UDD is expected to issue the final notification under the MRTP Act by May 20, 2024.
Court directed the government to file an affidavit
The bench asked whether this deadline could be shortened; However, it stressed that, in any case, it should be strictly followed. The court has directed the government to file an affidavit on the progress of adopting the guidelines.
It has also asked the petitioner to add the BMC Commissioner, Chief Fire Officer (CFO), and Director of State Fire Service/Fire Protection as respondents in the PIL. The court has also asked the BMC Commissioner and CFO to file their affidavits by the next date of hearing, January 30, 2024.
