A civic inspection drive following the fatal fire at a hotel on Free School Street has exposed widespread building and fire-safety violations among hotels and guest houses operating from residential properties in Kolkata.
Officials of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s (KMC) buildings department have found that a significant number of establishments surveyed had allegedly converted residential premises for commercial hospitality use without complying with prescribed building and fire-safety requirements.
The issue has also raised questions over KMC’s online trade licence renewal mechanism. According to civic officials, several establishments found violating building and fire norms have nevertheless managed to renew their trade licences through the online system, where the licence department does not undertake physical inspections as part of the renewal process.
Over 250 establishments served closure notices
The KMC buildings department has issued closure notices to around 250 hotels and guest houses found to be in violation of building regulations and fire-safety norms. However, civic officials indicate that the number could rise substantially as inspections continue.
A KMC official said the department is currently examining several thousand hotels and guest houses across the city, with a large concentration of suspected violations reported in Kolkata’s central business district.
Officials have indicated that the number of establishments potentially posing safety concerns could exceed 4,000, highlighting the scale of the inspection exercise and the challenge of completing physical verification within the stipulated timeframe.
KMC had initially given the buildings department a week to prepare a preliminary list of establishments violating building norms. However, the inspection drive has continued beyond the initial deadline as civic teams expand their scrutiny.
Central Kolkata hotels suspend bookings
The enforcement drive has also triggered a precautionary response from hospitality establishments in central Kolkata. Several hotels, lodges and guest houses have voluntarily suspended operations or stopped accepting new bookings amid concerns over possible closure orders from the KMC and state fire department.
Properties in and around New Market, Mirza Ghalib Street, Lindsay Street, Collin Lane, Sudder Street, Marquis Street and Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road are among those affected.
The decision by some operators to temporarily halt bookings follows the closure of more than 200 hotels in the aftermath of the Free School Street fire, with several establishments reportedly ordered to shut with less than 24 hours’ notice.
The ongoing exercise has brought renewed focus on the regulatory oversight of hotels operating from converted residential buildings, particularly in densely populated commercial areas of Kolkata. It has also highlighted the need for closer coordination between building, licensing and fire-safety authorities to ensure that commercial hospitality establishments meet mandatory safety and building requirements before being permitted to operate.
