Mumbai Fire Brigade's New Fire Safety Approval System Hits Roadblocks, Delaying Key Projects

The Mumbai Fire Brigade's recent decision to stop using private contractors for fire safety approvals has faced strong opposition from architects and engineers, as per the Hindustan Times (HT) report. Construction industry professionals argue that this new system is causing delays in the start of projects.

Previously, private contractors were allowed to issue fire approvals for buildings less than 32 metres (about 10 storeys) tall. However, in an attempt to combat corruption, the fire brigade decided that Assistant Divisional Fire Officers (ADFOs) would take over the responsibility for issuing these approvals. For taller buildings, the deputy chief fire officers and senior officials were still required to certify the projects.

Photo Credit: PTI

The Practising Engineers, Architects and Town Planners Association (PEATA), which represents around 3,200 members, has written to Prashant Gaikwad, the deputy municipal commissioner (finance), expressing concern over what they call an "indifferent approach" and "inconsistency" from the fire officers during the approval process. According to PEATA, this has created confusion and delayed project progress.

Shashikant Yadav, vice president of PEATA, highlighted issues with the scrutiny process in his letter according to HT. He said that fire officers were making decisions based on their personal interpretations rather than following the official guidelines outlined in the Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR). This has led to arbitrary decisions, further slowing down projects.

The association also pointed out that ADFOs are being assigned files from other wards, causing more delays. Senior architect Shirish Sukhatme, a former PEATA president, shared in the HT report that several schools are facing significant setbacks due to delays in obtaining fire NOCs. For instance, Sacred Heart School in Santacruz West is unable to get approval to add four classrooms for its international school, and Duruelo Convent in Bandra cannot offer classes for grades 11 and 12 due to similar issues.

Sukhatme also noted that the delay in receiving fire NOCs is impacting the work of architects. "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," he said as per HT, adding that with the discontinuation of private consultants, they now face hurdles with inexperienced fire officials.

Sources revealed in the HT report that private consultants used to issue fire NOCs for Rs 25,000, but the costs have reportedly increased due to corruption. Sukhatme explained that the files for projects are often shuffled between various wards, which further delays the approval process. While the goal is to reduce corruption, he claims the new system is not working as expected.