Aditya Pratap Law Offices - Advocates in Mumbai

12/10/2024

VICTORY ON VIJAYDASHMI - FIRE SAFETY NORMS NOTIFIED - FOR MUMBAI AND WHOLE OF MAHARASHTRA!

In a landmark development, the Government of Maharashtra has finally notified special regulations for buildings vulnerable to fire and manmade disasters. This marks a successful outcome of our five year endeavor to enhance fire safety in Mumbai Buildings. Having started in 2019, we proudly mark the first step in our Public Interest Litigation as Regulation 56A is inserted in the DCPR Regulations of 2034 applicable to Mumbai and a corresponding provision is also inserted in the UDCPR applicable to Maharashtra.

I represented and argued for the Petitioner Abha Singh before the Bombay High Court Division Bench comprising Hon’ble Chief Justice Shri DK Upadhyaya and Justice Shri Amit Borkar. The State of Maharashtra submitted copies of the notification across the bar, professing compliance with stern directions issued by the Court on October 9.

By issuing the notifications in compliance with the High Court order, the State of Maharashtra has notified a new provision - Regulation 56A for the City of Mumbai. This regulation provides for a series of measures aimed at making buildings safer for Mumbaikars. The newly inserted provision applies to all assembly, educational, commercial and other buildings having built-up area of 10,000 square meters or more and Skyscrapers having height 90 meters or more.

Such buildings should be compulsorily provided with fire towers and an array of fire fighting systems. All electrical installations should be handled and inspected by licensed electrical contractors only. Extensive post-OC checks are also mandated to ensure such buildings remain safe for people using them.

According to us, the notification marks only the first step in a long journey ahead. We have repeatedly insisted that the Chief Fire Officer should be directed to conduct a video audit of all new buildings and physically check whether the fire tender can go around the building or not. Further we have repeatedly stressed that mandatory open spaces should be provided around buildings in strict compliance with Part IV of the National Building Code of India.

Reported today in the Times of India, Hindustan Times, Free Press Journal, Saamna, Dainik Bhaskar and all major newspapers of Mumbai.



Abha Singh YP Singh Shivika Singh

10/10/2024

FEATURED TODAY IN TIMES OF INDIA, HINDUSTAN TIMES, FREE PRESS JOURNAL, MAHARASHTRA TIMES AND ALL MAJOR NEWSPAPERS - BOMBAY HIGH COURT PULLS UP MAHARASHTRA GOVERNMENT IN NOTIFICATION OF FIRE SAFETY RULES - SAY IT MAY CONSIDER STOPPING BUILDING PLAN APPROVALS IN CITY

Appearing for Abha Singh before the Bombay High Court, I argued that fire tragedies continue to ravage Mumbai City day after day, destroying precious lives in the process. I highlighted the deaths of seven persons in Siddharth Colony, Chembur as a case in point.

Pressing my submissions, I also argued that the Chief Fire Officer of Mumbai displayed utmost disregard of the law while sanctioning building plans. Buildings up to 70 floors high are permitted side and marginal open spaces of merely five feet whereas a small house may have twice as much.

I also argued that while on one hand, the Chief Fire Officer claims to have plenty of fire tenders, not once does he bother to check whether they are capable of maneuvering around the buildings whose plans are being sanctioned. I stressed that corruption rules roose in so far as fire safety in Mumbai buildings is concerned.

Taking note of my submissions, the Bombay High Court admonished the State of Maharashtra for repeated delays in enactment of special fire safety laws in Mumbai. The Bench expressed its displeasure when the State said that the oncoming elections were a factor in the delay. 'How can this be an election issue?' said the Hon'ble Chief Justice.

Passing a crisp order, the Court ordered that if no concrete steps were taken by Monday, it would consider passing orders stopping all building plan approvals in Mumbai until the special regulations for buildings vulnerable to man-made disasters were in place. It then directed the case to be listed for tomorrow, i.e. Friday, 11th October for further action.

24/09/2024

Federalism is a wonderful concept and a part of the Basic Structure of the Constitution of India.

However Federalism should not promote regionalism and factionalism.

In today’s hyper-connected era, the Union should take the lead in ensuring that people across India have access to quality of life, healthy environment and corruption-free governance.

India’s regional parties appear to be failing their voters, bit by bit as they champion caste causes.

20/09/2024

Mahalakshmi Race Course is marked as “Recreation Ground” in the Development Plan. No FSI can ever emanate from it. MCGM and Builder-Babu-Neta Nexus hell bent on converting the city into a concrete jungle. May the Courts save us.

20/09/2024

Alcohol and To***co Consumption in India gained mass popularity in the 1990s and among the youth in the post-2000 era. Narcotics followed shortly after. I will not hesitate to mince words while saying that decline in family values corresponds to rising Alcohol, To***co and Narcotics consumption.

As a Millennial, I have seen it all.

The time to combat these Social Evils is now.

I will fully support the Government if it adopts a hardline stance against such bad habits. Its either Black or White here, no Shades of Grey.

19/09/2024

15/09/2024

Being born on 6 October 1989 makes me say with pride "I belong to the 80s!".

We saw it, we did it!
No questions asked.

The 1980s were truly an era!

19/08/2024

East or West, Narendra Modi is the best.

There was a time when people said - there is no scope for scientists in India as they have no respect. Bureaucrats, they told me, call the shots. 'Research Lab mein pade rahoge', is what I was told.

Little did the antagonists realise that Narendra Modi does not want to be the Prime Minister of a backward nation. He wants to lead a Nation That Leads!

I am immensely proud of India's constant efforts to build the Fast Breeder Reactor. I also fully support the 'Lateral Entry Scheme' at Joint Secretary level which will dilute the stranglehold of the UPSC-selected bureaucracy who think that writing one exam gets them a lifetime achievement award.

Time do away with reservations, bit by bit, as time flies.

16/08/2024

Persevering in our mission and quest to keep Mumbaikars safe from fire tragedies, we appeared before the Office of the Deputy Director of Town Planning, Maharashtra in accordance with the order of the Hon'ble Bombay High Court dated _. In the said meeting, we presented our views on the amendments proposed by the Government of Maharashtra to the Development Control and Promotion Rules of 2034.

Right from the very outset, it has been our contention that the existing regulations for fire safety contained in Mumbai's DCPR 2034 regulations are adequate only on paper. In reality, they are blatantly flouted by the MCGM Commissioner who brazenly grants massive relaxations without any application of mind. In several super-tall buildings, where the marginal open space should be 6 meters or more, the Municipal Commissioner permits a paltry five feet!

We will be appearing again before the Officer with a detailed legal representation on the issue. Stay tuned for further updates!

Abha Singh Abha Singh Aditya Pratap Aditya Pratap & Associates, Advocates in Mumbai

07/07/2024

Elon Musk spent $ 44 Billion to acquire Twitter. No he has no money to bring Tesla to India.
Clearly Blue-Blooded Silicon Valley and Wall Street Dudes have lost their sense of proportionality and practicality. They find business sense in blowing $44 Billion on a Website, only to find their pockets empty when it comes to setting up a factory in a promising market with innovative products.

Mark my words - America is in Decline. With Wall Street and MBAs running the system, priority is more on wagering money and moving assets around than creating new ones. They blow money on sports teams, auction items, paintings, shares and all sorts of frivolous stuff. To make genuine and good products appears to be a waste of time for them.

There was a time when Yale and Harvard took America ahead. No no more. USA has lost the auto market, computer market, smartphone market, home appliance market - everything. It is just a services economy now, sustaining on making regular products expensive and dependent on housing and stock prices.

I add one more assertion - people at Wall Street have no morals. The smartest guys on Wall Street will first save billions in shipping manufacturing jobs to China and firing their workers, then blowing it on drugs, nightclubs (and what not!), paintings, sports teams, Sotheby's, Christies etc.