The Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Maharashtra government to set up a committee to prepare a report on the implementation of the 2009 draft fire safety rules and regulations for buildings and structures vulnerable to disasters and adjourned the matter to August 19.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice M.S. Karnik was hearing public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Abha Singh seeking the enforcement of draft special regulations for fire safety in buildings as the regulations were issued in 2009 in the aftermath of Hotel Taj attack on November 26, 2011.
The court directed a four-member committee, comprising of experts from the field, to submit a report to the State government in two months.
The Bench said, “The draft rules are of the year 2009. We are now in the year 2022. The committee shall see if we need to improve the rules and our system,” and adjourned the matter to August 19.
The PIL petition filed by Ms. Singh states, “Before 2009 several acts of manmade disasters, including the attack on Mumbai on November 25, 2008, took places. On February 27, 2009, government of Maharashtra had issued a draft of special regulations for building vulnerable to manmade disasters, through notice of urban development department. In 2009, several objections and suggestions were submitted. These were processed by the deputy director, Town Planning, and a summary was sent to the Government of Maharashtra to notify a final special regulation for building vulnerable to manmade disasters. On January 15, 2018, Ms Singh had written to the Government of Maharashtra to issue the final notification. However, there was no action forthcoming. Hence this Petition.”
Published - July 30, 2022 03:31 am IST
