Panel demands fire audits of all heritage structures….Linah Baliga
The February 9 fire mishap at the iconic Bombay House has prompted the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC) to demand an urgent fire audit of all heritage buildings.
The demand was made at a meeting of MHCC members with municipal commissioner Subodh Kumar on Monday, WorldHeritageDay.Thefire at Bombay House, the headquarters of the Tata Group, was triggered by a spark in an airconditioner in the basement. It killed three people and injured one person. Firefighters had then said that the ventilators in the basement were completely blockedby air-conditioners.
After the meeting with Kumar, an MHCC member said: We want the chief fire officer to conduct safety audits in heritagebuildings. Wewantto know if all safety provisions are in place. The heritage panel took a cue from the Bombay House incident. (Based on our suggestions) Kumar has given instructions to the fire brigade.
But chief fire officer Uday Tatkare said he had received a letter of communication concerning the fire audits, but no order had been issued.
MHCC chairman Dinesh Afzalpurkar said other heritage-related issues had also been discussed with Kumar. We had a discussion about cases not being referred to the MHCC for some Development Control Regulation buildings. As a result, a lotof buildingsof heritage value are being lost.
* REFLECTED GLORY: An image of CST on the glass pane of a BEST bus