Private Hospitals in Pune Face License Suspension Over Fire Safety Lapses

Pune, 3rd June 2025: Taking cognizance of public safety concerns, newly appointed Pune Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram on Monday directed the fire brigade to conduct a comprehensive fire audit of all private hospitals in the city. He also announced a city-wide survey and crackdown on illegal and dangerous hoardings, following recent incidents of hoarding collapses.

Commissioner Ram, who assumed office on Saturday, reviewed various municipal departments and interacted with reporters after his inspection rounds. Addressing media queries, he acknowledged the growing complaints about illegal hoardings and said, “We have received several complaints. A survey will be carried out, and immediate action will be taken against hoardings found to be dangerous or illegal.”

Illegal Hoardings Under Scrutiny
The announcement comes in the wake of a recent hoarding collapse on Porwal Road in Lohgaon, where, fortunately, no injuries were reported. In the past, hoarding collapses in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad have claimed lives. Citizens and activists have long raised concerns about the Sky Signs Department’s alleged inaction, especially ahead of the monsoon.

Despite visible violations across the city, the department had previously claimed that only 20 hoardings were illegal—a figure widely questioned by civic groups.

Fire Safety in Hospitals Prioritized
In a separate meeting with the fire brigade, Commissioner Ram was informed that while municipal hospitals have undergone fire audits, private hospitals have yet to be audited. Fire brigade chief Devendra Potphode confirmed the lapse.

Taking serious note, Ram directed the fire department to immediately inspect hospitals that are more than 15 metres tall. He also instructed officials to suspend licenses of hospitals that either lack fire audits or have deficient fire safety systems.

Action on Dangerous Walls Before Monsoon
Commissioner Ram also highlighted the dangers posed by weak or incomplete compound walls of buildings and construction projects during the monsoon. “Twenty people lost their lives in wall collapse incidents in previous years. We will now collect data on all dangerous walls in the city to prevent such tragedies,” he stated.