Hotels, eateries have become death traps: Bombay HC

It ordered the civic body to conduct fire audits at 33 eateries and file a report by August 25

“The hotels and eateries have become death traps,” said the Bombay High Court yesterday, while hearing a petition filed that said several hotels and shops are not following fire safety norms under the Bombay Shop’s and Establishments Act, 1948.

Aaswad in Dadar

The bench comprising justices Abhay Oka and Amjad Sayed asked the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) to send their officers to these shops and conduct fire audits and submit the report by August 25. The petitioner Dinar Sohoni, an advocate, listed as many as 33 hotels and shops that do not follow the requisite fire safety measures. BMC’s lawyer Trupti Puranik claimed in her defence that they issue/renew the licences of these shops and eateries only after conducting fire audit, which the court refused to buy.

Visawa in Dadar

“We may have to pay a heavy price for not undertaking fire safety measures in hotels, establishments and offices in the city,” observed the bench, ordering the MCGM to file an affidavit in this regard within six weeks, not later than August 31.

Prakash in Dadar

The petitioner said that he did write to the assistant municipal commissioners of all the nine wards who asked him to approach the fire department, which in turn directed him back to the civic body. Frustrated, he filed a Public Interest Litigation in October last year, after the Hotel City Kinara fire that killed eight people.

Gomantak in Dadar. Pics/Bipin Kokate

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