BMC demolition drive continues for fourth day

Pub blaze fallout

Mumbai, Jan 1: The BrihanMumbai Municipal (BMC)’s bulldozer run - in wake of the December 29 pub fire which left 14 dead and 55 injured - continued for the fourth consecutive day on Monday with scores of illegal constructions demolished across the city.

BMC teams on Monday inspected 134 establishments and carried out demolitions of various illegalities in three wards in the city, in what has been termed as the biggest demolition drive in Mumbai in recent decades.

According to a BMC spokesperson, the civic body swooped on Sholay Hookah Parlour and seized 50 hookahs, besides demolishing uuthorized constructions in other eateries including the Zam Zam Hotel and King Kebabs. The BMC also seized 51 gas cylinders that were being used illegally in various locations as part of the fire safety drive.

It also issued an appeal to all establishments to implement the Fire Codified Requirements make themselves fire safety compliant within 15 days, failing which it warned of non-compliance action against them

The civic body also sought to know if there were irregularities were detected and whether they were brought to the notice of the departments concerned and whether there were outside complaints which were ignored. In such cases, the BMC has ordered all the seven zones in the city to forward the mes of such errant officials and outsiders who had lodged complaints, to Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta.

It has also ordered all establishments to remove or demolish all uuthosed constructions on their premises within 15 days after which the civic body will taken remedial action on its own. The implications of the Mumbai tragedy were felt even in vi Mumbai where police have banned all hotels not having valid licences and no objection certificate from the fire department from functioning with effect from Monday.

Those bars and hotels whose licences, NOCs and other permissions expired on midnight of December 31, 2017, have been banned till they renew all their above documents, said a statement by Police Commissioner Hemant grale. For the first time since the 26/11, 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, the country’s commercial capital recorded the most subdued New Year Eve celebrations on Sunday.

Most Mumbaikars voluntarily stayed away from routine New Year Eve outings or dinners, followed by the midnight celebrations to ring in the New Year, and preferred to celebrate at home. According to various estimates by industry players, hotels, restaurants, resorts, private parties, etc fell by a drastic 40-50 percent this year, making it almost on par with the situation witnessed on December 31, 2008, barely two months after the terror strikes in the city. The losses accrued from this on account of food, beverages, liquor, special decorations, appointments of extra hands to cater to the festive season, are still being calculated.

Besides the hotel and restaurant industry, the transport industry was also hit due to cancellations in local bookings, though there was a normal demand to hire vehicles hired for destitions like the hillstations of Jawahar, Matheran, Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani, many popular beach resorts in the Konkan and certain other locations. The fire-crackers industry was also badly hit with over 40 percent drop in sales, according to Minesh Mehta, Secretary of Mumbai-Thane District Fireworks Dealers Welfare Association. (IANS)