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The bench also commented that if the state government had acted on the committee's report in February itself, then the regulations would have been issued by now. The high court has now directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner and its Chief Fire Officer to be added as party respondents.
On Friday, the Bombay High Court remarked that the State Government had only woken up after the court passed an order directing the government to implement fire safety rules.
“After committee recommendation, you did not take a single step? Only after courts order you have woken up. You did nothing,” the bench said.
The division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Arif Doctor was hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by Advocate and Social Activist Abha Singh seeking to implement the draft special rules and regulations for safety 2009 for fire safety buildings vulnerable to man-made disasters.
Earlier this week, on Wednesday, the high court had pulled the state government for not implementing fire safety rules and remarked that it was not the court's responsibility to prompt the government for every single action.
Assistant Government Pleader Jyoti Chauvan informed the bench that she had communicated with the Additional Principal Secretary and received assurance that the timeline for implementing the rules would be adhered to.
The bench also commented that if the state government had acted on the committee's report in February itself, then the regulations would have been issued by now.
The high court has now directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner and its Chief Fire Officer to be added as party respondents.
The division bench also asked the BMC to disclose how many fire brigades are covering municipal limits and the manpower deployed in such fire stations.
“We direct that by the next date of listing of matter an affidavit in reply should be filed by the Chief Fire Officer of BMC giving details of measures available to meeting exigencies of breaking of fire in residential and other building in the city. The detailed SOP shall also be provided by BMC in affidavit. The affidavit shall disclose how many fire brigades are covering municipal limits and manpower deployed on such fire station,” the order states.
The bench will now hear the PIL on 31 January 2023.
Case title: Abha Singh vs State of Maharashtra & Ors.
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