PMC action against PG Hostels and other establishments
Pune : As many as 67 establishments, including 45 paying guest accommodations and hostels and 13 private coaching centres in the city, were inspected on Sunday as part of an ongoing citywide crackdown on fire safety and other civic violations. Fire brigade, building permission and anti-encroachment departments ordered 13 paying guest (PG) accommodations and seven scrap shops and warehouses to shut down for violations of fire safety and civic norms. On Sept 18, officials inspected 11 PGs and hostels in Lohegaon. More than 100 students were found staying in some three- to four-storey buildings. The inspection was extended to Shivajinagar, Navi Peth and Lohegaon, where 36 establishments, 21 PGs and hostels, 13 coaching classes, a library and a gym, were checked.
Most of the premises were on rent, making regulatory oversight difficult, officials said. None of the inspected premises had permanent or temporary fire-fighting systems, officials said. The students told civic officials that their colleges had referred them to the facilities. “These establishments were located close to residential structures, posing a serious risk of a major incident in the event of a fire,” a PMC official said.
The establishments were found operating without fire-fighting systems and mandatory permissions, including BDP zoning and property tax registration. Several lacked proper drainage, while some were located along narrow access roads. Given the safety lapses, officials subsequently sealed the premises. Several premises lacked building, drainage, water supply, structural, tax, and fire department clearances. At some coaching centres, officials also found inadequate emergency exits, doors, evacuation routes, staircases, passages and fire-fighting equipment. Officials issued show-cause notices, asking the establishments to explain why they should not be sealed and directing them to comply with safety norms.