19 malls flouting fire safety rules: Survey

At least 19 malls in the city, including big ones like Big Bazaar at Phoenix Mills in Lower Parel, Atria Mall at Worli, Inox Mall at Nariman Point, PVR Shopping Complex at Juhu and Nirmal Lifestyle at Mulund, are flouting fire-safety norms, a random survey by the fire department has found.

The department has compiled a list of the malls and their violations. The list has been sent to the office of the municipal commissioner, Jairaj Phatak.

The irregularities, said a senior fire official, have also been reported to all the police stations concerned.

“The list will be circulated to the local municipal ward offices,” deputy municipal commissioner Chandrasekhar Rokade said. “The assistant municipal commissioners will now follow up on the cases and issue show-cause notices to these malls,” he said.

“Depending on the extent of violation, action against these malls could range from a stern warning to revocation of licence issued to them.”

Sources in the fire department said that during the inspection it was found that sprinklers, hydrants, pump rooms and wet risers in many malls were not properly maintained. In some malls, the staircase meant for an emergency exit was found to be commercially exploited.

The BMC will issue a show-cause notice immediately, but the malls will be given three months to comply with the fire-safety norms, senior officials in the fire department said.

After a major fire at the Retiwala Industrial Estate in Byculla last month claimed 10 lives, the municipal commissioner’s office had directed the fire department and ward offices to inspect industrial estates, malls and multiplexes, and compile a list of those flouting fire-safety norms. The survey revealed that 91 per cent of the industrial estates in the city lacked adequate measures for fire safety.

Similar violations were reported in the past too. But this time, the BMC will strictly enforce compliance, Rokade said.

“Thousands of people visit these malls, especially on a weekend. We do not want any citizen to suffer due to the negligence in providing adequate fire safety. It is better to be safe than sorry,” he said.

Meanwhile, the BMC is planning to utilise the services of private security guards to assist the fire department in inspecting sites. Rokade said fire department officials were overburdened with work.