Roque Dias
Margao
The state has witnessed a nearly threefold increase in applications for fire No-objection Certificate (NOC) within a month of the Arpora fire incident that occurred at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, claiming the lives of 25 individuals, officials from the Fire Services said on Saturday.
According to the officials, the surge in applications is mostly from restaurants, beach shacks and resorts, many of which had never sought such a certificate in the past. Fire NOCs are primarily issued by Divisional Officers and Assistant Divisional Officers.
“We have seen a tremendous response after the Arpora tragedy, with nearly three times more applications than usual. Even though the application process is entirely online now, we continue to receive manual submissions, which are being scrutinised carefully,” said Deputy Director of Fire Services Rajendra Haldankar.
Data from the South Zone, Margao jurisdiction, indicates that 803 fire NOCs were granted to business establishments in 2024, while 896 such NOCs were issued in 2025. Interestingly, within a month of the Arpora nightclub blaze that occurred on December 6, the office has processed over 300 new applications, with officials in the Fire Services confirming an overall threefold rise in such requests across the state.
The officials have attributed this increase to the stringent inspections carried out by government-appointed special committees, headed by District Collectors. These panels have been authorised to take action against establishments operating without valid documentation.
Sources said that the issuance of Fire NOC could take some time now due to the mandatory on-site inspection. “Earlier, a Fire NOC for coastal business establishment was issued based on the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) plan. However, the CRZ authority is now insisting on the businesses obtaining a Fire NOC prior to setting up the shacks or huts. This change requires thorough site verification,” a source said.
