Pune, Sep 18 (PTI) The fire department of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Friday sealed 11 Paying Guest (PG) hostels in Lohegaon and Nimbalkar Nagar areas for allegedly operating without mandatory fire-safety equipment, officials said.
Colleges and other educational institutes which refer students to such unsafe or unauthorised hostels could also face action, they said.
The action followed a citywide fire-safety inspection ordered by Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram in the wake of recent fire tragedies in Delhi and other cities.
Fire Brigade teams found several three- and four-storey buildings housing more than 100 students each but lacking fire-fighting systems in Lohegaon and Nimbalkar Nagar, an official release said.
The owners or operators of these facilities also failed to produce necessary documents including property tax records, drainage no-objection certificates, fire NOCs, structural audit reports, water NOCs and building permissions.
The inspections are part of a wider exercise covering hospitals, hostels, study centres, coaching classes and libraries. The audit will cover larger establishments, including high-rise buildings and private companies, in subsequent phases, the release said.
The Fire Brigade has been asked to submit a report on the exercise within 10 days.
“The action is part of our campaign to strengthen Pune’s fire-fighting mechanism. The fire department will inspect hostels, libraries, hospitals and other establishments and take action wherever there is non-compliance,” Ram said.
Chief Fire Officer Ganesh Sonune warned that strict action will be taken against errant establishments.
The municipal commissioner had directed officials to register FIRs against owners of unauthorised establishments and those violating fire-safety norms, he said.
As per fire-safety norms, establishments have to undergo periodic fire audits through authorised agencies and submit B forms twice a year, in January and July, certifying compliance.
During the inspections, officials also spoke to students residing in the PG accommodations. Some students said their colleges had referred them to these private hostels.
Pune, which has more than 25 universities and a large number of coaching institutes, has an estimated 3,500 registered and unregistered PG hostels and co-living facilities, officials said.
The civic administration has warned that educational institutions referring students to unauthorised or unsafe accommodations could also face action, including criminal proceedings.
Somnath Banker, head of the civic anti-encroachment department, said the drive against illegal PG accommodations would be intensified after the Ganesh festival.
“After the Ganesh festival, action will be taken in Lohegaon, Kharadi and Wagholi, where a large number of colleges are located,” Banker said.
Officials said overcrowded multi-storey PG accommodations without adequate fire-safety systems could pose a danger to students’ lives in the event of a fire. PTI SPK KRK
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