Mumbai: Committee submits report on Goregaon SRA building fire

The charred exterior of Jay Bhavani building after the blaze. Pic/Anurag Ahire

The committee that was formed to investigate the Goregaon SRA building fire that claimed eight lives and injured more than 50 people has submitted a report and made safety recommendations for the future, but it didn't point out any flaws in the structure of the building. The report mentioned that the committee received only primary reports from the fire brigade, police and public works department in this matter and that the relevant authorities will take necessary action at their level after an investigation.

In the report, the committee has suggested increasing the current three-year liability period to 10 years in the case of SRA buildings. It also recommended that the developer should provide more common open space and more than one staircase on each floor of the building. According to a release issued by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the committee has proposed 15 measures for the prevention of fire incidents in the future.

The fire broke out in Jay Bhavani SRA building in Unnat Nagar on October 6 and raised several questions about the safety of residents staying in such death trap buildings which are without water and electricity connections. After visiting the site, CM Eknath Shinde and guardian minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha announced that a committee would be formed to investigate the matter. The committee submitted the report to the commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal on Monday. The eight-member committee was headed by BMC's Additional Municipal Commissioner Dr Sudhakar Shinde and comprised civic, police, slum rehabilitation, and fire department officials, along with officers from MHADA and other agencies. In the report, the committee suggested increasing the current three-year liability period to 10 years in the case of SRA buildings. The committee also took into account the density of flats on all floors in SRA buildings and said that the developer should provide common open space and more than one staircase on each floor of the building.

Also read: Mumbai: In panic, they succumbed to the smoke and heat

The committee suggested providing ‘spiral' ladders using wrought iron instead of iron for the safe evacuation of residents in case of a fire at SRA buildings. The committee also suggested conducting a regular fire audit of 227 buildings in June every year, and while issuing the occupancy certificate to newly constructed SRA buildings, the chief fire officer should first issue a completion certificate for fire safety equipment and firefighting measures.

Further, it has been suggested that there is adequate allocation of parking space for two-wheelers and four-wheelers belonging to residents in SRA buildings and sales buildings. The committee has also suggested replacing the open grilled doors of lifts in SRA buildings with closed steel doors so there is no scope for fire and smoke spreading in the building premises.

Meanwhile, the release doesn't mention anything about the October 6 incident, the cause or the lacuna in the structure which hindered the evacuation of residents. Instead, it states that the investigation is in progress and the authorities concerned will take action. "The building was of SRA and the report has been submitted by the BMC. The construction of such buildings, whether constructed by BMC, SRA, MHADA or PWD has lacunae. The builder uses the space of slum dwellers so the authorities must put some responsibilities on his shoulders also," activist Anil Galgali said.

8
No. of people killed in the fire