Nagpur realty momentum slows as fire NOCs witness sharp decline: RTI

July 1, 2026 Headlinesnews

Nagpur: The slowdown in Nagpur’s real estate sector is becoming increasingly evident, with the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) Fire and Emergency Services Department reporting a sharp decline in the number of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) issued for construction projects over the past year. The fall in approvals has also reflected in reduced revenue generated by the civic body’s Fire Department.

Information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by Nagpur-based activist Abhay Kolarkar shows that after witnessing a record surge in 2024-25, the issuance of fire NOCs has steadily declined.

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The Fire Department issued 616 NOCs during 2023-24, which rose dramatically to 929 in 2024-25, indicating a robust phase for the city’s construction and real estate sector. However, the momentum could not be sustained. The number dropped to 718 in 2025-26, while only 152 NOCs have been issued during the first six months of the current financial year 2026-27, signalling a significant slowdown in new construction activity.

The RTI data also reveals that several proposals failed to secure mandatory fire clearance due to deficiencies in fire safety infrastructure or deviations from sanctioned building plans. The department rejected 40 applications in 2024-25, 47 in 2025-26, and nine during the ongoing financial year.

The decline in approvals has directly impacted the Fire Department’s revenue. It earned Rs 16.69 crore from NOC fees in 2023-24, which increased to Rs 19 crore during the record year of 2024-25. However, collections fell to Rs 15.69 crore in 2025-26. In the first half of 2026-27, the department has generated Rs 8.63 crore, indicating that annual revenue may remain well below the previous peak if the current trend continues.

The figures also provide an insight into the city’s emergency response workload. During the three-and-a-half-year period covered under the RTI, the Fire Department responded to 1,557 fire incidents across Nagpur.

Apart from firefighting operations, the department carried out a large number of rescue missions. It undertook 670 rescue operations in 2023-24, which increased to 711 in 2024-25 before declining to 606 in 2025-26. In the first six months of 2026-27, firefighters have already responded to 273 rescue calls.

The latest data suggests that while the Fire Department continues to remain busy with emergency response operations, the city’s real estate sector has lost some of the momentum it witnessed during the construction boom of 2024-25, as reflected in the declining number of fire safety clearances sought by developers.