Bhopal Municipal Corporation Audits Fire Safety Across City, But Own HQ Lacks Fire NOC

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) is conducting inspections of high-rise buildings and commercial establishments across the city to verify fire safety compliance, but its own newly inaugurated headquarters, Atal Bhawan, is yet to obtain a Fire No Objection Certificate (NOC).

The eight-storey Atal Bhawan, constructed at a cost of around Rs 72 crore at Tulsi Nagar's Second Stop, has been operational for several months and was formally inaugurated about a month ago by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.

According to BMC fire official Saurabh Patel, the process of securing a Fire NOC for Atal Bhawan is currently underway and installation of the remaining firefighting equipment is in progress.

He said the certificate would be issued only after all prescribed fire safety standards are fulfilled and the process may take about a week.

However, essential fire safety measures remain incomplete, raising concerns over the safety of thousands of employees and visitors who access the building every day.

Fire boxes still empty

Although fire lines have been installed throughout the building, several key firefighting systems are still missing.

Fire boxes located on different floors reportedly remain empty and do not contain basic emergency equipment such as hose reels, fire hoses and branch pipes required for initial firefighting operations.

The absence of these essential systems means the building is yet to meet the standards necessary for obtaining a Fire NOC from the Fire Department.

Strict enforcement outside, gaps within

The issue has come into focus at a time when the BMC has intensified inspections of high-rise buildings, hospitals, hotels, commercial complexes and other institutions following recent fire incidents in the city.

A fire in a commercial building in the Lalghati area recently highlighted shortcomings in fire preparedness, prompting authorities to launch a citywide compliance drive.

On Monday, municipal teams continued inspections of multi-storey buildings to verify fire safety arrangements and NOC compliance.

Official's Statement:

BMC s additional commissioner, Tanmay V. Sharma, confirmed that till now the Atal Bhawan did not have the fire NOC. Sharma further said that fire equipment are yet to get installed by the building agency.