Residential buildings in New Town, which have been partly converted into commercial spaces, are being inspected over the weekend to check for fire safety compliance.
The two-day drive will be held on 227 premises in the township that are used for non-residential activities within residential structures, to check if they have the necessary permits.
The authorities will see if those who took permission to partly function as non-residential buildings have complied with fire safety norms.
The inspection team from the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) will assess the fire hazard implications of such mixed-use buildings, verify the presence and validity of fire no-objection certificates and examine on-ground preparedness, such as availability of fire extinguishers, hydrants and awareness among occupants about their usage.
“These are residential buildings, which are hazardous because portions of them are also used commercially. If a building has a restaurant or a medical diagnostic centre, it could be hazardous and should have fire preventive measures,” said an NKDA spokesperson.
If a residential building is used for mixed purposes, it needs to have fire preventive measures, he said.
The rules allow a property initially built as a residential premise to be used for commercial purposes, but only up to 40 per cent, an NKDA official said.
“In New Town, there is a tendency to convert parts of residential structures into commercial establishments,” the spokesperson said.
The drive came a day after an announcement from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation that the city’s rooftop cafes, lounges, bars and restaurants will be shut down, and terraces will be considered a common area where no encroachment will be allowed.
The NKDA spokesperson said there could be buildings that have taken permission to function as commercial spaces but have not complied fully with the fire safety norms.
“Inspection will reveal compliance with fire safety protocols and regulatory approvals,” he said.
Six inspection teams, of three members each, have been formed. They will work under senior NKDA officials.
The drive will cover premises with NOCs from the NKDA as well as those without.
While most of the premises are being inspected in the weekend, the remaining will be covered in the coming days.
The next step will be to inspect office complexes and cinema halls in the township.
“Commercial establishments and office complexes have been set up recently, and are expected to have some sort of fire preparedness. But they will be audited, too. But residential buildings that have converted portions for commercial use may not have enough preparedness, which is why we are focusing on them first,” the spokesperson said.