100 pubs, restaurants face seizure

GHMC is cracking down on eating, drinking joints for lapses in fire safety measures

The GHMC’s Enforcement Vigilance and Disaster Management wing is gearing up to take action on bars, pubs and restaurants for ignoring fire safety measures.

The city has about 750 authorised pubs, bars and restaurants and GHMC officials expect at least 500 more are being operated without licences and permissions

The corporation has decided to issue short notices to about 200 pubs that are yet to submit the fire safety application as prescribed by the civic body.

The corporation will seize more than 100 pubs after issuing a three-day notice to establishments that do not comply.

Obtaining a fire safety certificate is mandatory and any commercial establishment, pub, bar or restaurant cannot be run without it.

The move came in the wake of fire accidents in restaurants and hotels. In April, a fire broke out in Hotel Sitara Grand, LB Nagar, and the occupants managed to escape without any injuries.

This was followed by another accident in Central Court at Lakdikapul.

Till date, the GHMC has received about 550 applications from commercial establishment and the staff is verifying whether they have the prescribed fire safety measures.

The approximate cost of installing fire-fighting equipment over a 1,000-sq mt area ranges from `30,000 to `50,000.

A fire safety certificate by the civic body is a must for all bars, pubs and restaurants with more than 50-seat capacity.

GHMC EVDM director Viswajit Kampati said the corporation staff will physically inspect all the places prior to issuing the certificate.

“After scrutinising the data, they will be asked to