Think of portal or app listing fire compliant hotels: HC to BMC

The Bombay High Court Thursday suggested the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to devise an online mechanism for the people to check if the eateries and pubs they plan to visit are fire and safety-compliant.

A division bench of Chief Justice N H Patil and Justice M S Karnik made the suggestion while hearing a bunch of petitions demanding that a judicial committee be set up to probe the December 2017 fire at two pubs in the Kamala Mills compound in central Mumbai.

The devastating fire at Mojo's Bistro and 1Above Pub on the night of December 29, 2017 had killed 14 people and injured several others.

Acting on the petitions, the high court had earlier this year set up a three-member judicial committee to inquire into the tragedy and also give recommendations on how to avoid such incidents in future.

The committee submitted its report to the high court in September this year.

Among several things, the panel had recommended framing of bylaws by the civic body on the issue of fire compliance and also regular checks on eateries to ensure all safeguards are in place.

The high court Thursday said the civic body should develop an online platform which can be accessed by the common man to see if a hotel or a restaurant a person is visiting has all its licences in place and is fire compliant.

"There are some mobile applications where people see which hotel or restaurant is good... what is the rating and how is the quality and so on. Something on that lines should be developed by the corporation too," Chief Justice Patil said.

The bench posted the petitions for further hearing on January 7, 2019, the day when the BMC will have to file a report on action taken by it on the court's suggestion and also on the recommendations made by the committee.