Sparks over PMRDA’s ban

The Kamala Mills fire that claimed 14 lives in Mumbai last month, was a jolt to the entire food and beverage industry in the state. Authorities in both Mumbai and Pune have woken up since, and sources in the Pune fire department tell us that in the last week alone, over 100 city establishments have been served notices for flouting and non adherence to various fire safety standards.“More than half the restaurants / hotels / resto-bars we audited were found not complying to norms. Either they don’t have fire extinguishers or the extinguishers are not functioning properly. Several more lacunae were found by our fire officers. Establishments like malls, hospitals and even schools are lacking in firefighting systems,” says Prashant Ranpise, chief fire officer, Pune Municipal Corporation.
With the fire department’s ongoing audit across city establishments, restaurateurs are waking up to surprise checks on a daily basis – something they expected, after the December 29 tragedy. But neither restaurateurs nor diners were prepared for the news of the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA)
banning rooftop restaurants in its jurisdiction. On January 7, PMRDA commissioner Kiran Gitte was quoted in the TOI saying, “In the PMR region, we have not given any permission for rooftop restaurants, and we will not be entertaining any requests for the same... the building permission department has been instructed to not issue permission for rooftop restaurants.” Given the popularity and appeal that rooftop establishments enjoy among customers, and with rapidly developing areas like Hinjewadi and Wagholi falling under the PMRDA’s umbrella, one must ask whether banning them is a real solution or just another easy way out.
Hear it from a fireman
According to fireman Navnath Waikar, from the Pune Fire Brigade, there are various factors that come into play when fighting a fire and rescuing people. He stresses on the risk of suffocation and need to head to the nearest rescue point, “People should head to the nearest exit via the fire exit stairs. If the fire is near a staircase, then they should go to the nearest balcony area or window to be rescued.” And on the subject of rooftops, he has this to say, “Dousing a fire depends on the situation where the fire is. If the fire is on a rooftop and the building has enough space on the sides for fire brigade vehicles, it can be doused quicker.”

An architect’s point of view
Rooftop restaurants are flourishing the world over. Bajarang
Sutar, Principal of Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Architecture, points out that abroad, the builders decide whether they want to have a rooftop restaurant at the building stage. Whereas here, in many cases, it’s only after construction people decide whether they want to have a rooftop restaurant or not. “That’s why they fall behind in facilities and security aspects. Also the approach road towards the building should be at least nine meters wide, so the fire brigade vehicle can approach easily in case of emergency,” says Sutar.
He also adds, “In closed restaurants with artificial ventilation – like air conditioners – there can be many issues in case of fire, such as suffocation. This is not the case in rooftop restaurants. The only problem is if they don’t have proper fire escape system.”
Will they ban ground floor restaurants if a fire breaks out there next?
Instead, the government should become strict and ensure that people don’t cut corners. Some restaurants have received notices from PMC as well and there is a possibility that the PMC may also follow suit. That will be a huge blow as the F&B industry is the only one that’s not slow now. — Goldie Narang, restaurateur
The restaurants in Mumbai had flouted rules.
Pune has approximately 8,500 restaurants. People here have taken all the permissions and are doing their business properly. Rooftop restaurants are popular all over the world. Denying permission for rooftop restaurants is only going to result in losses. — Ganesh Shetty, president of Pune Hoteliers Association
Can the PMRDA guarantee zero fires in non rooftop restaurants?
Can they give the public that assurance? If they go ahead with a ban, the revenue loss will be huge. And if they shut existing rooftop restaurants overnight, where will all the employees go for jobs? — Gurmeet Kaur Maan, CEO of a restaurant chain