A property can be deemed unauthorised in the absence of fire safety NOCs from the fire brigade department
Pune: At least 27 highrise buildings in PMC areas do not have a mandatory final no objection certificate (NOC) from the civic administration.
We will check whether the necessary requirements have been met or not, including completion of documentation and availability of firefighting facilities on the premises, including water to douse fires,” said Ganesh Sonune, head of the PMC fire brigade department. Now, the fire brigade department is inspecting how these buildings manage water supply for fire hydrants and sprinklers on their premises, especially against the backdrop of ongoing water shortages. “The civic administration has given only provisional permission to these buildings, not the final NOC. Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials explained that they provide provisional as well as final certificates. The administration has not given final fire safety NOCs to the aforementioned high-rise properties as they have either not complied with the mandatory norms or not shelled out due payments for the certification.
The administration must keep a system ready to ensure that water is stored dedicatedly for fire hydrants or sprinklers,” said Pradeep Kulkarni, a resident of Kothrud. Earlier in Oct, PMC fined the operator of a godown in Mangadewadi Rs 6 lakh for not following fire safety norms. According to civic data, the administration has issued notices to 500 establishments that do not have firefighting facilities since Sept this year. 27 high-rise buildings remain without final approval due to uncompleted formalities. Under the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act of 2006, the owner or occupier of a building is responsible for providing fire-prevention and life-safety measures and keeping them functional at all times While 22 properties have received full clearance in around a decade.
If these properties do not equip themselves with firefighting facilities, the situation can worsen, said officials. “A property can be deemed unauthorised in the absence of fire safety NOCs. If due process is not followed to get certification, action such as demolition can be taken,” said a senior official of PMC, choosing anonymity. Residents also observed that many housing societies divert water reserved for firefighting facilities to other uses. An online software system has been deployed to speed up clearances, issued as provisional and final NOCs to buildings exceeding 15m in height. For this purpose, it is mandatory to obtain a certificate in the prescribed format from a licensed agency and submit it to the chief fire officer or a designated officer. As per civic officials, fire safety norms are important for all properties, but even more so for highrises. The fire brigade department has limitations as far as availability of equipment is concerned for dealing with fires in highrise buildings. This may lead to a shortage of water to deal with mishaps. “The diversion of reserved water is more prevalent during the summer season or when there is a water shortage.
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