With over 42% of total buildings that house government departments found without any fire no-objection certificate from the Gandhinagar civic body’s fire department.
The details, including names of the buildings, were revealed by Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation’s (GMC) fire officer in an affidavit filed in the Gujarat high court on Saturday in response to a PIL filed by advocate-petitioner Amit Panchal seeking implementation of the Gujarat Fire Safety Act. The petition was filed after a fire tragedy took the lives of eight Covid-19 patients in Ahmedabad’s Shrey Hospital on August 6, 2020.
GMC has stated that its fire department has not received applications for fire NOC from 16 buildings from where the government departments operate. They are Birsa Munda Bhavan, Nirman Bhavan, Census Bhavan, Old Sachivalya Block 1-18, STC Staff Training College, Gujarat Water Works Department, New Sachivalaya Block 1-7, New Sachivalaya block 8-14, Patnagar Yojana Bhavan, Circuit House, Vishram Gruh, Dandi Kutir, GPSC Bhavan, Police Bhavan, Krushi Bhavan and Madhyamik Sikshan Board.
Even a research institute like Gujarat Forensic Sciences Laboratory does not have fire NOC, and the process for the same is under way.
Those 22 government buildings that have valid fire NOC include the Assembly building, Swarnim Sankul etc.
The fire officer has claimed that notices have been issued to “concerned owners/office bearers instructing them to take necessary actions promptly for compliance of norms laid down for the fire safety system and obtain NOC”. The corporation contemplates further action against those who do not comply.
The affidavit shows that compliance for norms in having a fire prevention system is relatively better in private buildings than in big government establishments.
As against 42% of non-compliant government buildings, there are 27 residential buildings out of total 77 structures falling in this category which do not have fire NOC, which is nearly 35%.
Among 22 Covid hospitals functional in Gandhinagar municipal limits, all were found complying with the fire safety norms. One of these Covid hospitals does not have proper Building Use permission. So all other hospitals in the capital were found fire-safety rule compliant, though 17 of them have got BU permission for residential purposes.
All 120 hotels and restaurants mentioned in the report have fire NOCs, so do all 31 industrial units, 22 banks, 18 petrol pumps, five malls and six cinema halls that exist in the city.
The city has 58 commercial buildings high enough to require fire NOC, and 56 of them have already obtained it while two buildings are under process of obtaining it.
Out of 35 gymnasiums, 33 have got the certificates and two cases are under process.
