Kolkata: With several buildings mushrooming in New Town for Fire Safety First: New Town's Real Estate Faces Regulatory Crackdown

With rapid urbanization transforming Kolkata’s New Town into a bustling hub of commercial and residential development, safety and compliance have become critical concerns. The New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) has launched a sweeping fire safety audit, targeting 191 commercial buildings in its first phase. This initiative reflects a growing emphasis on regulatory enforcement and public safety amid the area's real estate boom.

Officials said there are close to 1,200 buildings across New Town which are violating the commercial-use rule in some way or other.Since starting the inspection drive of rooftop and terrace-based restaurants, bars, and cafes in New Town, the authorities so far served notices to 10 rooftop restaurants to stop operations immediately. "NKDA will conduct a comprehensive fire audit every year of all non-residential buildings, and residential buildings having a height of above 15.1 m, as well as all mixed-use buildings, will be taken up," said an official. —Suman Chakraborti