Architects Slam New Fire Safety Approval System in Mumbai

Mumbai: The Mumbai Fire Brigade's decision to stop using private contractors for fire safety approvals and rely only on its own officers has caused major delays in building projects, say architects and engineers. The Practising Engineers, Architects, and Town Planners Association (PEATA) claims the new system is slow and confusing, making it hard for them to get their projects approved on time.

Earlier, private contractors handled fire approvals for buildings under 32 meters (10 stories), while taller buildings needed clearance from senior fire officials. The fire brigade replaced private contractors with Assistant Divisional Fire Officers (ADFOs) to reduce corruption.

Delays and Confusion

PEATA, which has over 3,200 members, has written to civic officials about the problems. They said fire officers are not following clear rules but making decisions based on their own understanding, which leads to delays and confusion.

"Fire officers are not using the official guidelines, and their decisions are often random. This has slowed down many projects," said Shashikant Yadav, PEATA’s Vice-President.

A big issue is that files for fire approvals are randomly sent to officers in different areas, even if they are unfamiliar with the project location. For example, a project in Bandra might be handled by officers in Borivali or Mankhurd.

Schools Also Affected

The delays are not just affecting private projects but also schools. Sacred Heart School in Santacruz has been unable to get approval for four new classrooms, delaying the start of classes for grades 6 and 7. Duruelo Convent in Bandra is facing similar issues with starting classes for grades 11 and 12.

“These are good schools with low fees, but their plans are stuck because of the delays,” said senior architect Shirish Sukhatme. He added that inexperienced officers are now handling approvals, causing more problems.

Before, private consultants charged ₹25,000 for fire approvals. Now, despite the changes meant to fight corruption, the cost has gone up because of the slow process.

"My project has been waiting for a fire approval for two months. Earlier, I would have received my permission by now,” Sukhatme said.

Call for Improvements

PEATA is asking the fire brigade to fix the system by training officers better and assigning files more logically. They also want officers to follow the official rules to avoid delays.

So far, civic officials have not responded to the complaints. Meanwhile, the delays continue to affect both private projects and important public facilities like schools.