Pune: PMC Chief Orders Fire Safety Audits Of All Hospitals, PG Hostels, Coaching Centres Within 10 Days
Pune, 18th September 2026: In the wake of fire incidents reported from various parts of the country, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) administration has stepped up fire safety measures across the city, directing mandatory fire safety audits of all private, government and civic-run hospitals, PG hostels and coaching centres.
PMC commissioner Navalkishor Ram has directed fire department chief Ganesh Sonune to initiate the inspections on an urgent basis and complete them on a war footing. Detailed reports of the inspections have to be submitted to the fire department within 10 days.
The first phase of the drive will focus on fire safety arrangements in PMC-run hospitals. Private and government hospitals, PG hostels and coaching institutes will subsequently be brought under the inspection drive.
PG hostels and coaching centres, where large numbers of students live and study in the same premises, will undergo detailed inspections. The civic administration will check whether the buildings are complying with prescribed fire safety norms and have adequate safety arrangements in place.
Hospitals witness a continuous movement of patients, newborns and their relatives, making evacuation particularly challenging during emergencies such as a fire. The inspections will cover fire-fighting equipment, fire safety systems, alarm mechanisms, emergency exits and other fire prevention and response measures.
Special attention will be given to mother-and-child care wards, where newborns, children and their mothers are admitted. Since evacuating such vulnerable patients during an emergency can be particularly difficult, fire safety arrangements in these wards will be examined separately and in detail.
The PMC administration has indicated that the fire safety audits will not be treated as a mere formality. If violations of fire safety norms or negligence are detected during the inspections, action will be taken against the concerned establishments as per rules.
The fire department has been given a fixed deadline to complete the inspections and submit its reports.
