Overview
- The Pune Municipal Corporation sealed 11 paying-guest hostels in Lohegaon and Nimbalkar Nagar on Friday after fire-brigade inspections found no permanent or temporary fire-fighting systems.
- Inspectors found several three- and four-storey buildings sheltering more than 100 students that could not produce required documents such as fire NOCs, structural audit reports, building permissions, tax records, and water or drainage clearances.
- Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram ordered the citywide audit following recent deadly fires elsewhere, and chief fire officer Ganesh Sonune has directed officials to register FIRs against owners of unauthorised or non-compliant establishments.
- Officials warned colleges that refer students to unsafe or unauthorised PGs may face action, and the anti-encroachment department said enforcement will be intensified after the Ganesh festival with further drives planned in Kharadi, Wagholi and other areas.
- The fire brigade must submit a report within 10 days and authorities say this inspection is the first phase of a larger, phased campaign that will expand to hospitals, larger establishments and high-rises across Pune’s roughly 3,500 student housing and co-living units.