Safety before celebrations: BMC to ensure eateries don’t play with fire

Focus on last 4 days of Dec as restaurants in Worli, Parel see high footfall

MUMBAI: A year after the tragic fire at Kamala Mills that killed 14 people, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has said more than 250 restaurants, pubs, hotels and other establishments in the G south ward (Lower Parel) will be inspected by a team comprising ward officials and the fire department.

Assistant municipal commissioner of G south ward, Devendra Jain said, “We have formed teams which will conduct random inspections in hotels and restaurants. Majority of the inspections will start from evening and will go on till the night. The four-day-drive will ensure that all hotels in our ward are complying with fire safety norms and strict action will taken against the offenders.”

The inspections will look into requisite permits, adherence to norms regulating usage of cooking gas, fire safety compliance, construction as per approved plans and required space for exit and entrance to the establishments. Civic officials said that though inspections are carried out regularly, there will be a special drive in G south ward between December 28 and December 31. “Most of the hotels and restaurants in this ward witness a very high footfall during new year [celebrations]. Due to this, we will start a major inspection drive on all such establishments to ensure fire safety norms are being followed,” said an official on condition of anonymity.

Gurbaxish Singh, president of Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India, said, “We endorse the view that safety is paramount. However, these inspection drives should not be on busy operating hours, such as New Year’s eve or Christmas eve. It would be helpful if BMC carried out inspections during non-operative hours so that normal working of the business is not disrupted .”

MAJOR INSPECTION DRIVE FROM DECEMBER 28-31

What: Fire safety inspection of over 250 hotels of G South ward

Areas: Lower Parel, Elphinstone and parts of Worli

Who will inspect: Joint inspection by officials of fire brigade, health and building factory departments

What they will check: During the drive, requisite permits, norms followed for usage of cooking gas, functioning of fire safety equipment, proper construction according to approved plan, and required space for exit and entrance to the establishments will be inspected.