The court’s remarks follow the tragic incident in Mumbai’s Chembur area, where seven members of a family were killed in a fire at a shop-cum-residential building
The Bombay High Court has sharply criticised the Maharashtra government for its failure to notify fire safety regulations, reprimanding the Urban Development Department for its apparent lack of urgency on the matter. The court expressed frustration over the state’s inaction, especially in the wake of recent fire-related tragedies.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar warned that if the government failed to act within the stipulated timeline, the court may consider halting all building plan approvals across the city. “We are not asking you to provide fire extinguishers. It’s a simple task—issuing a notification. But you have not managed to do even that,” the bench remarked sternly.
The court’s remarks follow the tragic incident in Mumbai’s Chembur area, where seven members of a family were killed in a fire at a shop-cum-residential building. Advocate Aditya Pratap, representing petitioner Abha Singh, pointed out the Chembur fire to highlight the urgent need for stronger fire safety measures. The bench also indicated that it might summon the Principal Secretary of the Urban Development Department if further delays occurred.
Earlier, the court had granted the department two months to seek public objections and suggestions on the draft fire safety regulations, urging the government to expedite the notification process with “a sense of extreme urgency.” However, despite this directive, the government has yet to issue the final notification.
Abha Singh, the petitioner, has been pushing for the enforcement of the 2009 draft fire safety rules, which were prepared in the aftermath of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. Advocate Pratap argued that the state’s latest draft was considerably weaker than the original 2009 version. He also criticised the fire department for granting No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to multi-storey buildings with inadequate space for fire trucks to manoeuvre, calling it an “extremely risky” practice.
During the hearing, Assistant Government Pleader Jyoti Chavan informed the court that the draft notification had been prepared and was awaiting cabinet approval. However, the impending Code of Conduct for the upcoming state assembly elections could cause further delays. In response, Advocate Pratap sarcastically remarked, “Election is more important than the lives of people.”
The court noted that in July it had expressed hope that the final notification would be issued by October 9. Yet, despite the urgency, the notification remains pending.
The court’s strong words reflect the mounting concern over fire safety in Maharashtra, and the pressure on the government to act promptly to prevent further tragedies.