Pune: As many as 67 establishments, including 45 paying guest accommodations and hostels and 13 private coaching centres in the city, were inspected on Sunday as part of an ongoing citywide crackdown on fire safety and other civic violations.Fire brigade, building permission and anti-encroachment departments ordered 13 paying guest (PG) accommodations and seven scrap shops and warehouses to shut down for violations of fire safety and civic norms.The establishments were found operating without fire-fighting systems and mandatory permissions, including BDP zoning and property tax registration. Several lacked proper drainage, while some were located along narrow access roads. Most of the premises were on rent, making regulatory oversight difficult, officials said.A senior PMC official said, “The municipal commissioner has directed officials to file cases against such unauthorised and unlicensed establishments and seal them immediately.”The drive began on Friday after municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram ordered a citywide safety audit of PGs, hostels, educational institutions and coaching centres following a series of fires reported in Delhi, Mumbai, Amravati and other parts of the country.On Sept 18, officials inspected 11 PGs and hostels in Lohegaon. More than 100 students were found staying in some three- to four-storey buildings. None of the inspected premises had permanent or temporary fire-fighting systems, officials said. The students told civic officials that their colleges had referred them to the facilities. Given the safety lapses, officials subsequently sealed the premises.The inspection was extended to Shivajinagar, Navi Peth and Lohegaon, where 36 establishments, 21 PGs and hostels, 13 coaching classes, a library and a gym, were checked. Several premises lacked building, drainage, water supply, structural, tax, and fire department clearances.At some coaching centres, officials also found inadequate emergency exits, doors, evacuation routes, staircases, passages and fire-fighting equipment. Officials issued show-cause notices, asking the establishments to explain why they should not be sealed and directing them to comply with safety norms.On Sunday, teams inspected 20 establishments in Wadgaon Budruk, Narhe and Dhayari, comprising 13 PGs and seven scrap shops and warehouses. All were ordered to shut after officials found safety and permission-related violations.The inspection of scrap units also revealed large quantities of combustible material, including plastic, paper, steel, iron scrap, sacks and other waste, stored in sheet structures in residential areas. Some units also lacked proper electricity connections and building permits.“These establishments were located close to residential structures, posing a serious risk of a major incident in the event of a fire,” a PMC official said.The civic administration has directed officials to register FIRs against unauthorised establishments and seal those found flouting safety norms. Property owners operating unauthorised PGs and other establishments will also face criminal action, officials said. Action could also be taken against educational institutions found to have referred students to such unauthorised premises.The fire brigade will continue inspecting schools, colleges, PGs, hostels and hospitals across the city. Establishments have been advised to ensure that their fire-fighting systems are functional and properly maintained, failing which they will face action.Municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram said the drive would ensure fire safety, structural stability and compliance with civic rules. In a post on X, he said the action would continue until every defaulter was identified and that establishments would be allowed to reopen only after achieving full compliance with the rules, adding that students’ safety could not be compromised.
