Fire safety audits continued on the first day of the new year with the Department of Fire and Emergency Services serving 12 notices to various establishments, mostly pubs and restaurants, on Monday.
The Fire Department has been on an inspection drive since December 29, after a fire in a Mumbai roof-top pub claimed 14 lives. Though Fire Department officials maintained that the audit has been going on for many months and was not initiated after the Mumbai incident, there has been special focus on roof-top pubs and restaurants, which have been in the spotlight after the Mumbai tragedy.
The initial audits focused on establishments in Indiranagar and Koramangala, which have a large number of pubs and restaurants and have been drawing the ire of local residents, who have been engaged in a long-drawn battle against rampant and illegal commercialisation of residential areas.
However, on Sunday — New Year’s Eve — the Fire Department broadened the scope of the audit to include J.P. Nagar, Bannerghatta Road, Jayanagar and other areas.
On Monday, notices were served to establishments in Laggere, Kammanahalli, Banaswadi, Whitefield, Electronics City and Nagarbhavi among other places.
In all, the department has served notices to 34 establishments. All of them, including those that were served notices on Monday, have been given a fortnight to adhere to fire safety norms, failing which they will face closure, officials said.
