TNI Bureau: A fire that broke out today at No Limit Air, a rooftop bar in Bhubaneswar, has exposed serious gaps in enforcement of safety and licensing norms in the city’s nightlife establishments.
Officials confirmed that the bar was operating without a valid excise license and without mandatory fire safety certification. The venue also lacked even basic fire preparedness—there were no fire alarms, no extinguishers, and no evacuation mechanisms in place.
The incident highlights a larger systemic issue. According to officials, over 80 standalone bars and pubs in Bhubaneswar are operating without fire safety clearances, taking advantage of loopholes in Odisha’s 2017 Fire Prevention Rules, which do not require fire certification for buildings below a certain height.
This regulatory gap has allowed many bars to function with minimal scrutiny, creating what experts call a “disaster waiting to happen.”
The Bhubaneswar blaze comes just days after a deadly fire in Goa, drawing national attention to widespread negligence in hospitality safety standards. While no casualties were reported in today’s incident, authorities warn that a similar fire during peak hours could have had devastating consequences.
An investigation has been initiated, and officials are under pressure to tighten enforcement to prevent future tragedies.