Navi Mumbai: Disturbed by the recent fire incident at Phoenix Marketcity mall in Kurla, citizen groups are demanding a thorough and independent fire safety audit of all malls and multiplexes across Maharashtra, including the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
In an email to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the NatConnect Foundation warned that many shopping centres could become death traps in the event of a mishap.
“Many malls have severely congested passages due to the overcrowding of shops and festive sale displays,” said NatConnect director B N Kumar. He stressed the need for comprehensive testing of all combustible materials and unannounced inspections of standard operating procedures (SOPs).
“We’ve observed that packaging materials like cartons are often stacked in basements,” Kumar said, adding that driveways and exits are also too narrow, posing serious evacuation challenges.
Activist Madhu Shankar pointed out that food courts and cinema zones are particularly vulnerable. “Even a minor accident could trigger panic, stampedes, and potentially fatal injuries,” she said.
“In many popular malls, people move shoulder-to-shoulder, with shopping trolleys bumping into knees. Even at billing counters, the layout is so chaotic that customers are forced to navigate in a crisscross manner,” Kumar noted.
Sharing his own experiences at multiplexes, he added, “The exit routes are so narrow and packed that it can take over 20 minutes just to leave the cinema hall. One can only imagine the chaos in the event of an emergency.”
For the sake of public safety and transparency, Kumar urged the government and municipal authorities to commission independent third-party agencies to conduct fire audits—similar to how financial institutions carry out external forensic and financial reviews.
Kharghar-based activist Jyoti Nadkarni added that malls and multiplexes should not only display fire safety compliance certificates but also create mechanisms for whistleblowers and alert citizens to report lapses.
