The Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) Fire and Emergency Services Department has identified 78 more coaching centres that failed to meet mandatory fire safety norms and has issued notices directing them to comply with safety regulations.
The inspection drive was launched by Municipal Commissioner Dr. Vipin Itankar following last month’s tragic fire incident at a coaching institute in Lucknow.
Many coaching centres operate in crowded residential and commercial areas where limited space and high property costs often result in inadequate safety arrangements. During inspections conducted by all 12 fire stations, officials found several coaching classes running illegally from residential buildings, converted retail shops and commercial basements meant only for parking.
The inspections also revealed that many institutes lacked basic fire safety measures, including fire detection systems, firefighting equipment, emergency exits and evacuation plans, as required under the National Building Code (NBC) and the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act.
Chief Fire Officer Tushar Barahate said the latest 78 violators are in addition to the 141 coaching centres identified during the first phase of the survey. The inspection drive was expanded after officials found that several institutes had been left out of the initial list. Areas covered include Jhansi Rani Square, Dharampeth, Bajaj Nagar, Chhaoni, Nandanvan, Sitabuldi and Abhyankar Nagar.
The Fire Department has directed the coaching centres to install the required fire safety equipment and comply with regulations within 20 to 25 days. The deadline will vary depending on whether the institute operates from a residential or commercial building.
Officials noted that despite accommodating large numbers of students every day, many of these buildings had no firefighting equipment or emergency evacuation plans.The notices have been issued under Section 6 of the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006.
The NMC has warned that failure to comply could lead to the buildings being declared unsafe for occupancy under Section 8(1), while continued violations may result in disconnection of electricity and water supply under Section 8(2).
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