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PMC issues notices to 75 rooftop restaurants for violating fire safety, building permission plans
The business establishments have been under the PMC radar after a major fire incident at a rooftop restaurant in Baner on June 9
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) this week issued notices to 75 rooftop restaurants stating that the business operations being conducted were unauthorised and in violation of the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporation (BPMC) Act.
The business establishments have been under the PMC radar after a major fire incident at a rooftop restaurant in Baner on June 9. Post this incident, the PMC commissioner had ordered a survey of the rooftop restaurants and directed the fire department to carry out necessary inspections and file a status report.
Before the fire incident, the PMC building permission department had only 13 rooftop restaurants on their record, located in Koregaon Park, Bund Garden road and Old Mumbai-Pune highway areas.
Sudhir Kadam, acting superintendent engineer (building department) said, “ According to the BPMC Act, all illegal and unauthorised constructions will be demolished as per the law.”
However, the survey which was jointly undertaken by the anti-encroachment department, property tax department, building permission department and fire department has revealed that there were as many as 18 hotels in Baner, and as many as 75 rooftop restaurants operating without permission from the civic body.
According to the police, there is no concept of rooftop restaurant authorised by the PMC, and most of the units have been operational on the terraces where they seek permission for operating them as restaurants and later convert the entire terrace area into a restaurant. Once the building permission plan has been finalised, new permission cannot be given, said PMC officials.
Building permission is granted subject to scrutiny and it involves various stages starting with the identification and authenticity of land, the geo-location, if the building confirms to all the standards of safety and regulation, the distance from the road, distance from surrounding buildings, height and other criteria set by the Municipal authorities, along with the building plan. In short, it is the department’s responsibility to ensure that the building has not violated any laid down rule.
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