The Maharashtra government is yet to kick off its plan to modify building laws for Mumbai to improve security of people against man-made disasters in the light of the November 26, 2008 terror strikes. In 2009, the government had started the process of consultations but.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis admitted to this in a written reply to a starred query tabled in the Legislative Assembly last week. The issue pertains to the urban development department, which Fadnavis heads.
After the 26/11 terror attacks, the government had said a plan to step up security for highrises and high footfall areas in Mumbai was under way. Mumbai’s development control rules were proposed to be changed for incorporating regulations for construction of blast-resistant structures besides the setting up of an explosive alarm detection and deactivation system in building design. The plan was also to incorporate rules to force highrise developers to submit a comprehensive security plan for their projects.
A committee headed by retired PWD secretary N V Merani had submitted a report in 2009, based on which the government had launched the plan.
But six years later, none of this has been implemented.
BJP’s Mumbai legislator Mangal Prabhat Lodha, who also heads real estate firm Lodha Group, had raised a query in this regard last week. He had sought to know the status of action taken on the panel’s findings. In his written response, Fadnavis said the Merani committee’s findings were accepted and the process for modifying building laws was initiated in 2009. “Suggestions and objections from people over the proposed changes to the laws were called on February 27, 2009. But a final decision is yet to be taken,” he said in his written response.
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