State fire department to issue NOCs for high rise buildings in Nagpur

Maharashtra fire safety director to issue no-objection certificates (NOCs) for high-rise buildings and special 500 sq m structures under the Nagpur Metropolitan Region Development Authority (NMRDA). The state government has divested the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) fire department of power to issue provisional NOCs to projects under NMRDA in a recent order. The new unified development plan control rule (UDCPR) bars the NMC’s fire department from issuing provisional NOC or permanent fire compliance to any high-rise project outside the city limits.The new UDCPR came into force in December 2020. Developer Vinod Kubde, who has submitted his objections to the state government’s decision, said that the move has delayed most projects under NMRDA’s jurisdiction. Rules specify that one cannot submit the building plan to the NMRDA for sanction unless a developer gets a provisional fire NOC. As per UDPCR, state fire director Santosh Warik has been authorised to issue provisional fire NOC and subsequent compliance certificates to all high-rise projects. Since the new rule came into force, their projects have hit a roadblock claimed by the developers and builders who have taken up projects. Builders told the media that now they have to travel to Mumbai to seek a provisional NOC from the state fire director’s office. It is not a one-day work, and many times, the top official is unavailable in the office. They further said that the UDCPR was announced on December 2, 2020, but the city chief fire officer continued to issue a provisional fire NOC from December 2, 2020, to May 5, 2021. The CFO’s office has now suddenly stopped the service, citing UDCPR. Image Source Also read: BMC readies SOP to impose fire service fees on buildings from July