LOKMAT NEWS NETWORK
Nashik, Mar 23
Despite serving notices by the Nashik Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) Fire Department, 247 hospitals in the city have turned their backs on the fire audit. Therefore, the Fire Department is going to severe tap and electricity connections of such hospitals. NMC may also consider the option of revoking the hospitals’ licenses if they still refuse to cooperate.
Seeing that fire incidents have increased in private and government hospitals, the state government has made a fire audit of government and private hospitals mandatory. Accordingly, every six months in January and July, it has been made mandatory to obtain a fire audit certificate.
Every year in January, a fire audit notice is issued by the Municipal Corporation. February 18 was the deadline for submitting the report. Out of 622 hospitals in the city, 375 have submitted fire audit reports. While 247 hospitals have avoided submitting this report.
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Ignoring safety
This is a major laxity in terms of hospital security. The Fire Department issued a 15-day notice to these hospitals to submit their reports, however, they are yet to do so. Hence, the Fire Department is going to cut their tap and electricity connection.
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Mandatory to have fire prevention system
The Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Saving Measures Act 2006 and Rules 2009 came into effect on December 6, 2008. Accordingly, it is mandatory to have fire prevention systems in all types of mixed-use buildings including hospitals, industrial buildings, warehouses, marriage halls, cinema halls, malls, offices, complexes, beer bars, restaurants, hotels, lodges, and residential buildings more than 15 meters high.
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The hospitals in the city which have not conducted the fire audit should submit the report within the next 15 days. After that no extension will be given, and the electricity and water connection of such hospitals will be severed.
- Sanjay Bairagi, Chief Fire Officer, Nashik Municipal Corporation