Mumbai: A sense of unease has gripped the residents of Bhandup West as reports emerge of several critical safety lapses at Neptune Magnet Mall, eerily reminiscent of the devastating Dream Mall fire that claimed 11 lives in 2021.
Discrepancies Come To Light
The mall, located on Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, has been found to be riddled with errors, including inadequate fire audit, faulty firefighting equipment, and a complete lack of emergency preparedness. The mall is fully operational, offering a range of amenities such as offices, cafes, shoe shops, and restaurants, and attracts a steady stream of customers.
Activists From MNS Raise Their Voice
Activists from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have been vocal about their concerns, pointing out that the mall’s administration and officials have turned a blind eye to these glaring discrepancies.
Vijay Jadhav, MNS activist questioned, “Who will be responsible if a situation like Dream Mall happens again? The mall management is not serious about safety, and neither are the BMC officials. The mall’s management has failed to conduct regular fire audits, leaving firefighting equipment in a state of disrepair. It’s a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.”
The mall has not undergone fire, lift, and electrical audits, leaving its firefighting equipment, lift system, and electrical infrastructure in question. With no power backup and exhaust fans not running, visitors are left anxious and helpless.
Another activist from MNS Santosh Parte added, “I’m shocked and concerned by the numerous safety violations I’ve discovered at Neptune Mall. There are no fire exit direction indicators, leaving visitors in the dark in case of an emergency. What’s more alarming is that the lift system has no clear rescue plan in place for passengers stranded due to technical issues. To make matters worse, the fourth floor Occupation Certificate (O.C.) is missing, and unauthorized Artificial turf on that floor raises serious questions. I’ve noticed significant leakage under the turf, which begs the question: will this compromise the strength of the structure over time? The fourth floor is also cluttered with debris, as a concerned citizen, I demand answers from mall management and authorities to address these serious concerns.”
Babasaheb Dakhle, a resident of Bhandup, questioned “Who is providing electricity to the illegal turf? If a common person does this then penal action is taken, then why is it not done against the mall? We have given several letters to the municipality and all concerned departments about these errors but nothing has been done. We cannot rule out the possibility of an incident like Dream Mall happening in future and to avoid any crisis in future we are warning the administration to take immediate action in this regard.”
In response to the concerns raised by MNS activists, S Ward Officer Bhaskar Kasgikar has promised to take action, stating that a survey will be conducted and any irregularities found will be addressed. “The mall is fully operational. We have given orders to concerned officers to check with complaints received, after meeting with MNS activists directions are given, to take surveys. Building and factory department will survey, if there is any irresponsibility found strict action will be taken.”
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