The horrific blaze at Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital that claimed eight lives in its ICU has shaken the nation, yet hospitals in Nagpur are sitting on a similar disaster waiting to unfold. An examination of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) Fire and Emergency Services Department records paints a grim picture of rampant fire safety violations and alarming official negligence.
According to official data compiled up to August 31, 2025, an astonishing 228 hospitals in Nagpur are operating either without valid fire safety clearance or solely on temporary approvals. Even more disturbing, 150 hospitals have no fire safety NOC whatsoever, while 132 have been officially classified as unsafe for both patients and staff. Of the 348 hospitals that were granted temporary NOCs, only 131 managed to obtain final compliance certificates after fulfilling the required safety norms.
According to a media report, currently, 57 hospitals remain under construction, and 78 have been served notices under Section 6 of the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006, for lacking even basic firefighting facilities. Another 85 hospitals have been formally declared unsafe under Section 8 of the same Act.
Under mounting criticism, the civic administration claims to have taken “punitive” action, but the data exposes how superficial the enforcement truly is. Power and water connections were cut off at 78 hospitals, the police were informed in 13 instances, two hospitals were sealed, one case was taken to court, and a single FIR was filed. Despite this, hundreds of hospitals continue to operate openly in violation of fire safety laws.
Repeated enforcement drives have done little to improve compliance. Among the 348 hospitals with temporary or final NOCs, only 146 have functional firefighting systems. Out of the 150 hospitals operating without any NOC, merely 81 have installed safety equipment. Experts warn that hospitals are among the most fire-prone establishments due to the continuous use of oxygen, ventilators, and heavy electrical loads in ICUs.
“If a state-run hospital in Jaipur, with its resources, could become a death trap, imagine the condition of private hospitals in Nagpur where compliance is almost non-existent. These are ticking time bombs,” cautioned a senior fire officer.
Activists have also voiced their anger. “The NMC’s so-called action, cutting power or issuing notices, is nothing but eyewash. The civic body must suspend licences and shut down unsafe hospitals immediately. Otherwise, Nagpur is heading straight for a Jaipur-like inferno,” warned a local social activist.
Under the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006, hospitals are mandated to obtain clearance certificates, conduct regular mock drills, and maintain firefighting systems. However, the audit reveals that most hospitals treat these requirements as mere formalities, while authorities continue to ignore violations.
The Jaipur hospital fire stands as a grim reminder of the deadly price of negligence. Yet in Nagpur, hundreds of patients continue to be treated daily in wards that could turn into death traps at any moment — a chilling indictment of institutional apathy and official complacency.
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