BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has released a policy for allowing development of residential plots with smaller width of abutment to public street/road. This is to further strengthen the fire safety in the buildings and fire fighting exercise by the Fire Department.
As per the policy, whenever plot/s partly abut public street/road of width 9 m or more and width of such abutment and/or approach is minimum 4.50m, for the entire length, all such proposals will be scrutinized by the Fire Department with respect to access, staging area. Thereafter, no objection certificate/remarks regarding the same will be offered with justification by the Fire Department wherever required, approval of the Municipal Commissioner shall be obtained.
‘’The word abutment and/or access to plot/s shall mean and include any narrow access which is a part/portion of same plot or any narrow access which includes a portion of other plot/plots of common access which is commonly used with any other adjoining plot/s for common access. The width of abutment/access shall be considered as total width of abutment/access of the same plot as well as adjoining plot which is jointly used as common access by the plot holders,’’ BMC said.
BMC explained that there are many cases where plot/s abut public street/road. However, the width of the abutment to such public street/road is smaller than 9m. There are various cases where width of abutment of two or more plots combinedly provide access to buildings in the plots from public street/road.
As per the policy, wherever plot/s partly abut public street/road of width 6m or more and width of such abutment and/or approach is min 3.60m for entire length, as the width of approach of 3.60m width is not sufficient for fire appliances to reach up to the proposed building, the fire appliances will be parked on the main road/public street and further fire fighting operations will be carried out manually and with the help of inbuilt fire safety measures.
The length of the approach from the main road to the point where the plot widens to full width within plot/s shall not be more than 10mtrs. Smoke detectors shall be installed in the lift machine room and electric meter room.
The building shall be provided with a manual fire alarm system with main control panel at ground floor level and pill boxes and hooter at each floor level.
For residential buildings having height 15m and above up to 32 m, the approach to proposed building from public street/road shall not be less than 3.60mtrs wide. The said public street/road of minimum 6mtrs shall be connected to another road having width minimum 6 mtrs for easy manoeuvrability of fire appliances in case of an emergency.
The length of the approach from the main road to the point from which plot widens to full width within plot/s shall not be more than 10mtrs.
Government approved licenses agency registered under The Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006 for fire safety measures shall be appointed. Certification from a licensed agency regarding provision of all the fire fighting measures in the building should be submitted at the time of submission of building completion certificate.
