NMC to conduct fire audit of malls, hotels, and hospitals

NASHIK: The government finally wakes up after a heart-wrenching incident in which ten newborn babies died in the fire at neonatal care department of the general hospital in Bhandara district. The district administration has begun working to prevent such incidents in the future. Accordingly, Nashik Municipal Corporation has instructed authorities to conduct a fire audit of all the hospitals in the city.

It has also directed the fire department to conduct fire audits of major malls and hotels in the city. After the death of newborn babies in the Bhandara district, the state government took note that the fire audit of the hospital was not carried out. Accordingly, the government has instructed all the municipal councils and municipal corporations to pay attention and conduct a fire audit immediately.

The safety concerns of all government and private hospitals in the Nashik Municipal Corporation area has risen again. The fire safety system has already been installed at the new Bytco Hospital of the municipal corporation in the city. It has also directed to conduct fire safety audits of all private hospitals immediately. Along with this, a fire audit plan of big malls, multi-storey hotels, schools, and colleges in the city has been prepared by the corporation authorities.

After the recent incident in which nine students were killed in fire at a private coaching class in Surat city, the municipal administration had undertaken the task of conducting fire audit of all classes in the city. However, after some time, the work got partially abandoned. Earlier, conducting fire audits of private hospitals in the city was underway.

It is mandatory to conduct fire audit by NMC every year, and if this audit isn't completed, NMC has the right to cancel the registration of the concerned. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no fire audit conducted last year. However, fire audits of all the buildings in the city will be carried out in phases in view of the incident.

“The fire audit of 499 maternity homes, nursing homes, and hospitals in the city will be carried out in the next two to three days,” said Sanjay Bairangi, in-charge of the Municipal Fire Brigade. “We have instructed the medical department and fire department to conduct fire audits of all the hospitals in the city. It has also ordered to install fire safety system in Dr Zakir Hussain Hospital. Accidents can also happen in big malls and hotels,” informed by Municipal Commissioner Kailas Jadhav while giving instructions to audit these installations.