Fire dept cracks down on malls
Mumbai: The judgment in the Uphaar fire tragedy case in Delhi is acting as a wake-up call for the Mumbai Fire Brigade. The citys fire department has swung into action and is now planning to recommend revocation of licences of malls and multiplexes found to be flouting fire safety norms.
The fire department inspected 22 malls and multiplexes in the city over the last few weeks following a fire at Nirmal Lifestyle Mall in Mulund on November 3. Many of them were found to be fire traps, especially on weekends and during festivals.
The department is compiling a list of violations in order to seek the revocation of licences of malls and multiplexes failing to adhere to safety standards. We are recommending revocation of the No-Objection Certificate (NOC) of malls and multiplexes found to have no fire safety. The recommendations will be sent to the license department of the municipal corporation, said chief fire officer A V Sawant.
Malls like Inox at Nariman Point, Inorbit and Hypercity at Malad, Atria Mall at Worli, R Mall at Mulund, Milan at Santa Cruz, PVR at Juhu, Hub at Goregaon, Raghuleela at Kandivli, Huma Adlabs at Kanjurmarg, Citimall at Andheri and various outlets of Shoppers Stop, Globus as well as Big Bazaar were among those inspected. Sources said sprinklers, hydrants, pump rooms and wet risers were found to be ill-maintained in many malls. Staircase landings, which are meant to be kept free to expedite a quick exit, were also found to be clogged and used for commercial purposes.
While a no-objection certificate from the fire department is a must before permission for lifts and electricity are given by the building proposal department of the BMC, the fire department does not have the power to revoke the licences directly. It can only make recommendations to the municipal corporation.
Sources say fire officials, who tend to turn a blind eye to irregularities, have now decided to crack the whip.
In particular, the department has decided to take serious note of the crowds visting the malls during the weekends and festivals and the inability of the security agencies to manage the crowd. Sawant told TOI that malls and multiplexes will be asked to put a crowd management system in place.
There is no record of people entering and leaving malls and multiplexes. This can make any evacuation operation complex, said the fire department chief. The metal detectors installed at entrances of malls and multiplexes should record the number of people entering, he added. During weekends and festivals, the crowd in malls go beyond the control of security guards, added the fire chief.
The fire department inspected 22 malls and multiplexes in the city over the last few weeks following a fire at Nirmal Lifestyle Mall in Mulund on November 3. Many of them were found to be fire traps, especially on weekends and during festivals.
The department is compiling a list of violations in order to seek the revocation of licences of malls and multiplexes failing to adhere to safety standards. We are recommending revocation of the No-Objection Certificate (NOC) of malls and multiplexes found to have no fire safety. The recommendations will be sent to the license department of the municipal corporation, said chief fire officer A V Sawant.
Malls like Inox at Nariman Point, Inorbit and Hypercity at Malad, Atria Mall at Worli, R Mall at Mulund, Milan at Santa Cruz, PVR at Juhu, Hub at Goregaon, Raghuleela at Kandivli, Huma Adlabs at Kanjurmarg, Citimall at Andheri and various outlets of Shoppers Stop, Globus as well as Big Bazaar were among those inspected. Sources said sprinklers, hydrants, pump rooms and wet risers were found to be ill-maintained in many malls. Staircase landings, which are meant to be kept free to expedite a quick exit, were also found to be clogged and used for commercial purposes.
While a no-objection certificate from the fire department is a must before permission for lifts and electricity are given by the building proposal department of the BMC, the fire department does not have the power to revoke the licences directly. It can only make recommendations to the municipal corporation.
Sources say fire officials, who tend to turn a blind eye to irregularities, have now decided to crack the whip.
In particular, the department has decided to take serious note of the crowds visting the malls during the weekends and festivals and the inability of the security agencies to manage the crowd. Sawant told TOI that malls and multiplexes will be asked to put a crowd management system in place.
There is no record of people entering and leaving malls and multiplexes. This can make any evacuation operation complex, said the fire department chief. The metal detectors installed at entrances of malls and multiplexes should record the number of people entering, he added. During weekends and festivals, the crowd in malls go beyond the control of security guards, added the fire chief.