Multi-agency committee to enhance fire safety measures in Bengaluru’s old Pete area

Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) chief M. Maheshwar Rao on Thursday directed officials to form a committee to prepare a comprehensive report on preventing and controlling fire accidents in the commercial areas of the old Pete area. He made the announcement after visiting the commercial complex which was gutted on Wednesday in Kumbarpet. 

Five persons, including four of a family, were killed in an accidental fire in Nagarathpet in August 2025. Mr. Rao recalled the incident on Thursday and said that in view of the recurrence of fire accidents in the area, a committee with representatives from GBA, Central City Corporation, Fire and Emergency Services, and the Energy Department will conduct a detailed inquiry into the causes of the accident and submit a comprehensive report on effective measures to prevent and control such incidents.

Hydrant system at key locations

Fire and Emergency Services that rushed to put out the fire at the three-storeyed Lakshmi Commercial Complex in Kumbarpet on Wednesday couldn’t get direct access to the building due to narrow roads. They accessed the building by laying hose lines from a distance of around 300 m.

To prevent such issues, henceforth, Mr. Rao directed officials to install fire hydrant systems – a network of pressurised pipes and water sources to make water available for firefighting – at key locations in the old Pete area. He instructed officials to install CCTV cameras to monitor these fire hydrant systems.

Fire safety measures 

Mr. Rao said that fire safety systems and fire extinguishers must be made mandatory in all commercial buildings in the old Pete area and to seal buildings that fail to install fire safety systems, without any leniency. He directed officials to convene a meeting with trade associations to discuss necessary precautionary measures and to ensure their mandatory compliance.

The commissioner also spoke tough on illegal constructions in the area, leading to dense development. He ordered immediate disconnection of electricity supply to unauthorized buildings and issuance of notices to halt construction activities. If portions constructed in violation of the sanctioned plan are not removed, criminal cases should be registered against the building owners, he said. Unsafe buildings must be inspected and immediate notices issued to undertake necessary safety measures, he ordered.