Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) fire and emergency services department has alerted the state government about 22 unauthorized rooftop restaurants operating in various parts of the city, including Ramdaspeth, Chhaoni, Amravati Road, Dharampeth, and the Cotton Market area. These establishments were found to be operating without the required permissions and not adhering to approved safety plans.

During inspections, the fire department identified several critical safety violations in these rooftop restaurants. They lacked adequate exit routes, essential fire-fighting infrastructure, and other safety measures, thereby posing a significant risk of accidents. These findings were reported in response to a calling attention motion raised in the state assembly by Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar and MLA Sunil Kamble. The motion highlighted concerns about unauthorized rooftop hotels across major cities in Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Nagpur, and Nashik.

As a result, action was initiated against these 22 rooftop restaurants under Section 6 of the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Saving Measures (MFPLSM) Act, 2006 (amended in 2007). Of these, 15 have been issued closure notices, while only one has received approval from the competent authority.