NAGPUR: Following a tragic fire in Lucknow that claimed the lives of 15 young individuals, alarming fire safety issues have surfaced in Nagpur. Over a hundred coaching centers have been marked as unsafe, with many at risk of having their electricity and water supply disconnected for non-compliance with mandatory safety norms.
This situation is particularly concerning given that approximately 150 students at Bansal Pathshala for IIT-JEE, NEET, and MHT-CET narrowly avoided disaster on May 6 when a fire erupted from an electric meter on the first floor of a two-story commercial building on Mount Road in Sadar. Fortunately, no injuries occurred, but the incident underscored the serious lack of emergency preparedness within educational facilities operating from commercial and converted residential properties.
Data from the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) fire and emergency services indicates that 141 coaching class buildings were inspected by June 23, 2026. Of these, 103 structures were deemed unsafe and action was taken under Section 8(1) of the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006, due to failure to comply with firefighting system installation notices.
Enforcement has intensified against non-compliant establishments, with 40 coaching institutes facing measures under Section 8(2)(a), allowing authorities to disconnect their electricity and water supplies.
Chief Fire Officer Tushar Barahate mentioned that notices have been issued to building owners, urging them to install required firefighting equipment and comply with safety regulations. “Despite repeated notices and enforcement, compliance remains low,” he reported.
Furthermore, 15 cases have been directed to the Nagpur city police for filing FIRs under Section 36 of the Act for penalizing those violating fire safety laws. Additionally, files for 60 coaching institutions have been sent to zonal offices for issues related to misuse of approved building plans.
Despite ongoing enforcement, only 37 coaching institutes have submitted ‘A’ certificates, confirming their adherence to required firefighting arrangements.
Sources within the fire department indicated widespread misuse of approved building plans has emerged from inspections citywide. Numerous buildings sanctioned for residential use are now being utilized for commercial purposes, including coaching centers.
Officials noted that monitoring such misuse falls under the town planning department’s jurisdiction. The fire department has continually communicated with assistant municipal commissioners to take action against owners violating approved plans.
With thousands of students attending coaching classes daily, both the Lucknow tragedy and the close call at the Sadar institute serve as troubling reminders of the consequences of neglecting fire safety protocols. This raises a pressing question: Will authorities act decisively against unsafe coaching centers before Nagpur faces a similar disaster?
