Goregaon fire: Local authorities, politicians deflect responsibility as fire claims lives, prompting calls for accountability
Mangal Prabhat Lodha, guardian minister, announced the formation of a special committee to investigate the incident
After a fire claimed seven lives in an SRA building in Goregaon West, politicians and administrative officials rushed to the scene, attempting to deflect blame. Gajanan Kirtikar, the local MP, and Subhash Desai, MLA, both pointed fingers at the authorities, accusing them of negligence and lives lost due to their inaction. Meanwhile, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, the guardian minister of the suburbs, announced the formation of a special committee tasked with investigating and submitting a report within a fortnight.
Gajanan Kirtikar, the MP, said, “The BMC is the most powerful corporation in the country, yet they couldn’t control the fire in time. There was no fire-fighting system inside. How did they even receive an NOC? Someone needs to take responsibility.”
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Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Subhash Desai criticised the lack of basic facilities in the building. He placed the responsibility for these lives squarely on the authorities, including the collectorate, SRA, and municipal corporation.
Suburban Guardian Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha assured that a committee would be appointed to investigate and submit a report within a fortnight. “The initial assessment suggested a short circuit in a ground-floor cloth godown as the likely cause of the fire. It is commendable that within 8-9 minutes of getting a call the fire brigade reached the spot and a rescue operation began,” he said.
Responding to concerns about the building’s vulnerabilities, including a lack of basic water connections and non-functional lifts, Lodha said, “Right now our priority is well-being and treatment of the fire victims. We would address these complaints once the victims have recovered and been discharged.”
City District Guardian Minister Deepak Kesarkar instructed the relevant authorities to take measures to prevent such incidents in buildings. He also emphasised their commitment to providing assistance for the injured in the incident.
Satish Lokhande, CEO of SRA, provided some context, explaining that the SRA had issued an OC for the Jay Bhavani building in 2014, and this OC is only granted after receiving an NOC from the fire brigade. He also noted that the three-year defect liability period, during which the builder is liable for any calamity, had already passed, making the incident all the more tragic.
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