Defunct electric circuit is cause of fire: Probe
The Sakinaka Bhanu farsan workshop fire occurred on December 18, 2017, killed twelve labourers was caused due 'defective electric circuit' states the probe report released by Rambhau Dhas, the Deputy Municipal Commissioner of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday.
The probe report clearly cities, "As per the observations done during site inspection, circumstantial evidences of the premises and statements of the eye witnesses the probable cause of fire is derived as Defective Electric Circuit. The electric spark from electric switches/cables/wiring came in contact with the nearby combustible materials such as stock of farsan, raw material, edible oil, diesel oil, packing material etc."
The twenty pages probe report highlights the electric insulation of the farsan workshop must be damaged due to rodents present in the store room or due to excessive high current flowing through the circuit continuously for long time(over loading)or by ageing of insulation material which might have become hard and brittle and may eventually broken away from the conductor and triggered the mishap.
The report also further elaborates the statement of Senior Sanitary inspector Jagdish Gyandev of Kurla ward who has said on November 2015 and August 2016 on Khairani road the inspection of Mahalaxmi farsan mart was conducted and after inspection it was found that the place is illegally running and unhygienic and therefore legal action has been taken, but in case of Banu farsan mart workshop no complaint was made by the citizens neither the Councillor of the civic ward. Also during the site visit of Khairani road units, the workshop was locked. In addition, the owner also not made any application for authorised licence to carry out the business activity hence, BMC was completely unaware of the irregularities. Also, the premises comes under the authorisation of the collector as the workshop was closed.
However, the inquiry officer DMC has mentioned suspension of Senior Sanitary Inspector Gyandev as recommended by Ajit Kumar Ambi Assistant Commissioner(AC) of Kurla ward for his failure to inspect the place as without health licence and No Objection Certificate (NOC) from fire department still, the farsan workshop was operating. A city survey report of the plot it has been declared as unhygienic place in the year 1978, but its yet to decided whether the plot comes under deputy collector or not, therefore if the plot does not come under the collector's jurisdiction then the building and factories department officials, the Designated Officer (DO) of BMC named Sarvshree Bharat Vasave, Rahul Marekar, Amol Patil, including building inspectors (mukadam) of Kurla civic ward named Vishwanath Daji Pawar will have to face administrative inquiry inititated by Ambi, the AC of Kurla civic ward for illegal wooden loft construction in the farsan workshop. The loft was made entirely of wooden material the report mentioned.