by THO
MUMBAI: The Mumbai Fire Brigade’s decision to discontinue the use of private contractors in issuing fire safety approvals and appoint their own fire officers instead has been opposed by architects and engineers in the construction industry. They claim the new system is delaying their projects from getting off the ground.
The architects and engineers, represented by the Practising Engineers, Architects and Town Planners Association (PEATA), are reacting to a recent decision by the fire brigade, which had decided to transfer the onus of these approvals to Assistant Divisional Fire Officers (ADFOs). The move was aimed at curbing corrupt practices involving private contractors.
Until then, private contractors were allowed to issue fire approvals for buildings less than 32metres (or 10-storeys) high, while structures taller than that must be certified by the deputy chief fire officers and other senior fire officials.
PEATA, which has around 3,200 members, has since written to Prashant Gaikwad, deputy municipal commissioner (finance), pointing to the alleged “indifferent approach” and “inconsistency” among fire officers and ADFOs during the scrutiny of proposals submitted online. The letter states that the situation has obstructed the progress of their projects and caused confusion for all parties involved.
“Through our observations and experiences, it has become apparent that the scrutiny process is not being carried out in line with the established provisions of the Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR). Officers are frequently scrutinising proposals based on their personal understanding, rather than adhering to the relevant provisions of the DCPR. This approach is leading to arbitrary decisions, which can create significant setbacks for professionals in the industry,” stated Shashikant Yadav, vice-president, PEATA, in his letter to Gaikwad.
PEATA also said that ADFOs of a particular ward are assigned files from other wards, which becomes tedious for architects in procuring fire NOCs. Shirish Sukhatme, former president of PEATA and a senior architect, told HT that a couple of schools are facing challenges due to delays in obtaining permissions from the ADFOs.
“Sacred Heart School (Santacruz West) is unable to obtain its fire NOC and permission for the additional four classrooms needed to start Classes 6 and 7 for its international school. Similarly, Duruelo Convent (Bandra) cannot begin offering classes for grades 11 and 12. Both are good government-aided schools with minimal fees, but their proposals are still pending,” said Sukhatme, who claimed that fire NOCs are being handled by inexperienced fire officials.
“My team has been waiting for the fire NOC for two months. If the Building Proposals Department had been involved, I would have received the commencement certificate by now. The contracts for private consultants, who were previously appointed, are not being renewed and we are at the mercy of fire officials who send us from pillar to post,” he added.
Civic sources revealed that private consultants used to issue fire NOCs for a fee of ₹25,000, but claimed that the cost has significantly increased owing to corruption.
“There is a randomisation system, where files from Bandra are sent to Borivali, where the most junior fire officer handles them. Some files go to Byculla or Mankhurd for a project in Bandra, and it’s not based on the wards where the projects are underway. While the intention is to curb corruption, the system is not working as expected,” said Sukhatme.
Both Ravindra Ambulgekar, chief fire officer, and Prashant Gaikwad, deputy municipal commissioner (finance), were unavailable for comment.
