Up relief amount for kin of firemen dead in action, BMC told

The Bombay High Court on Monday directed the BMC to increase the compensation amount for the legal heirs of firefighters who lost their lives during rescue operations. The court also told the civic body to provide appropriate jobs to the family members of the deceased and directed it to come up with a revised policy to be presented in the court on September 6.

Dr Sharmila Ghuge, the petitioner, highlighted before the court that the civic body had not taken any steps with regard to fire safety. As a result, many lives were lost in tragic fire accidents. The petitioner requested the court to direct the BMC, the fire department and the state to take appropriate measures to save the lives of the general public, which were being endangered due to non-implementation of fire safety norms.

The petitioner also brought to the notice of the court that the Development Control Regulations (DCR), according to which buildings are constructed in the city, was contrary to the provisions of the National Building Code (NBC), a code for regulating building construction activities across the country. To this, the court directed the state to file an affidavit stating how it would amend the DCR to bring it in consonance with the NBC.