‘Ensure Ganpati mandals follow fire rules’

MUMBAI: While the new 23-pointer fire norms have irked Ganpati mandals in the city, the civic body has written to the Mumbai police to ensure fire-safety norms are followed by all mandals.

Civic chief Ajoy Mehta, in his Saturday meeting, directed additional municipal commissioner, Vijay Singhal, to write to the police department to keep a tab on fire-safety measures taken by Ganpati mandals.

In a first, guidelines of the fire department have mandated that mandals submit a ‘self-certified declaration on a ₹500 stamp paper about compliance of fire-safety

measures to the ward authority, and it would be the sole responsibility of organisers to comply with all fire-safety measures under Section 3 (3) of Maharashtra

Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006’.

In addition to asking 24 ward officers to ensure all fire-safety measures are followed by Ganpati pandals, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has also written to the police department to keep a check on pandals whose applications have been approved, but who have failed to follow the stated precautions. Other guidelines released by the fire department mandate that pandals be at least 10 feet away from a building; pandals cannot be erected near a railway line, chimney or furnace unless a distance of 15 metres is maintained; and internal roads shall be kept free from any obstruction; among others.

BMC is in the process of sending notices to mandals flouting norms or setting up pandals without permissions.