The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) on Julu 17 issued a show-cause notice to fire officer Rishikant Chipade for allegedly issuing a final Fire No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the administrative building at the Moshi garbage depot without verifying the sanctioned building plan or conducting a site inspection, officials said on Saturday.
Event Context
Municipal commissioner Dr Vijay Suryawanshi issued the notice on July 17 to Chipade, then deputy fire officer. It cites prima facie evidence of negligence in processing the building’s fire clearance, which later collapsed.
However, on the same day, the Fire Department issued a final Fire NOC for a G+2 building with a built-up area of 1,056.60 sq m. The notice alleges that the clearance was granted without scrutinising the revised sanctioned plan or conducting a spot inspection.
“Why disciplinary action, including suspension, should not be initiated against him,” the notice reads. Hindustan Times has seen a copy.
The July 8 tragedy occurred when a massive garbage heap slid onto the administrative building of the waste-to-energy plant. Twenty-three people were trapped. Five escaped, nine were rescued during an 84-hour operation, and nine died.
On July 15, the PCMC suspended Sanjay Kulkarni, chief engineer and head of the Environment Department, and executive engineer Yogesh Sopan Alhat over alleged lapses linked to the incident.
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According to the notice, the building received a provisional Fire NOC in May 2019. On July 26, 2023, the Building Permission Department approved a revised plan permitting only a ground-floor (G+0) structure with a built-up area of 500.59 sq m.
Suryawanshi said there was a major mismatch between the approved plan and the actual structure, but the deviation was not reported to the competent authority, allowing two additional floors to be built without approval.
The notice also alleges that Chipade violated the Maharashtra Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1979, the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006 (amended in 2023), and the National Building Code.
“We have asked Chipade to explain why disciplinary proceedings under the relevant service rules should not be initiated and why he should not be placed under suspension for the alleged dereliction of duty. He has been asked to submit a written explanation, failing which further action would be taken as per the rules,” Suryawanshi said.
When contacted, Chipade refused to comment on the issue.
