The Indore Municipal Corporation sealed Apollo Tower on Wednesday. This notable multi-storey commercial complex, located on MG Road, accommodates around 600 shops.
“A formal notice was issued to the management of Apollo Tower a month prior, along with public warnings displayed on the building indicating that it was unsafe due to the absence of fire safety equipment. Despite being granted a 30-day period to meet the necessary requirements and install the mandated systems, the management did not comply,” stated IMC building officer Ankesh Birthariya.
When municipal teams arrived to carry out the sealing, the occupants requested a three-day extension. Birthariya mentioned that municipal commissioner Kshitij Singhal, who ordered the action, denied the request for an extension, asserting that sufficient time had already been allotted to gather funds and ensure compliance.
To have the property unsealed, the management is now required to complete a certified fire audit and submit a binding affidavit that outlines a timeline for the complete installation to the municipal commissioner.
This enforcement action is part of a broader citywide initiative aimed at addressing unauthorized basement usage and structural safety violations across various zones.
Before sealing Apollo Tower, IMC officials had implemented similar enforcement actions at multiple locations. In Greater Vaishali Nagar, a commercial library operating in a basement was sealed due to non-compliance with fire safety regulations, while in Radhika Palace, authorities shut down an unauthorized hotel functioning within a residential area without fire safety measures, removing commercial signage to revert to permitted residential use.
In Sukh Shanti Nagar, teams sealed a basement where an illegal snooker club was operating in a space designated solely for parking. Additionally, three non-compliant basements were sealed—Plot 149 and Plot 359 for running unauthorized libraries, and Plot 356 for operating a commercial mess in the Indrapuri area.
