Nagpur: Even as repeated industrial fires expose life-threatening gaps in preparedness, official data shows that fire safety enforcement in Nagpur’s industrial areas remains largely symbolic, allowing hazardous units to function unchecked. Figures published on the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) fire and emergency services dept website reveal large-scale violations of the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006, with little fear of closure or criminal liability.Data obtained from the NMC’s fire and emergency services dept website shows that as many as 437 industrial buildings operated with only temporary fire safety clearance, despite many being fully constructed and functional. Of these, 32 buildings are still under construction, but the larger concern is the continued operation of completed industrial units without final approval. Only 43 cases were verified for compliance with mandatory fire prevention and life safety measures under Section 6, which requires installation and maintenance of fire safety systems.
Under Section 8(1), fire officers are empowered to inspect premises and issue rectification notices after detecting hazards. While 119 such cases were initiated, enforcement weakened beyond paperwork. Sections 8(2)(a) and 8(2)(b) allow authorities to restrict the use of buildings or order evacuation if an imminent fire risk exists. Yet, only 115 cases each were taken up under these provisions, and large-scale sealing or evacuation orders remain rare.When owners fail to comply with notices, Section 8(3) empowers the fire dept to enter premises, install safety equipment, or remove hazards directly, recovering costs as arrears of land revenue. But only 53 cases reached this stage, indicating reluctance to take decisive corrective action.The real deterrence lies in penal provisions, but these remain grossly underused. Just three cases saw action under Section 36, which allows prosecution, fines, and imprisonment for non-compliance or obstruction. Even more telling is the complete absence of action under Section 40, the strongest provision that fixes criminal liability on company directors and senior management for fire safety offences. Not a single industrial unit faced management-level accountability.The picture is grimmer among 251 industrial buildings that never obtained even temporary fire clearance. While notices were issued in 188 cases under Section 6, only one case progressed to Section 8(3), and none invoked Section 40. Sixty cases remain pending, effectively permitting unsafe operations to continue.Fire officials admit that powers to declare buildings unsafe, restrict occupancy, or order closure are seldom exercised. “Temporary clearances were never meant to become permanent shields,” a senior official said.With 240 cases pending and enforcement largely confined to notices, Nagpur’s industrial zones remain fire traps. Until unsafe buildings are declared unfit for use, sealed, and errant directors prosecuted, fire safety will remain a paper exercise — waiting for the next disaster to strike.
