Even after the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) decided to conduct a fire safety audit as part of steps to prevent frequent fire outbreaks in the district, many owners of godowns, shopping centers and multi-storey buildings, who were earlier held for various violations. it was done. The safety norms are not as per the instructions issued.
The laxity was noticed mainly on the part of some private warehouse owners, and this prompted the fire officials to report the matter to the district collector for action. The main concern is the narrow passages leading to large warehouses with huge stores of flammable goods.
Many commercial buildings still have blocked fire exits and fire fighting equipment without proper annual maintenance. In some recent inspections, fire hydrants were found to be damaged. The same is the case with portable extinguishers in many places.
Though a comprehensive fire audit by the police on SM Street identified the risk elements, a scientific evaluation is yet to be done in other vulnerable areas of the district. The proposed fire audit by DDMA is expected to bring out a holistic picture of alleged neglect on the part of building owners in other parts of the district.
According to sources in the Fire and Rescue Service department, some private hospitals, educational institutions and industrial units are also suspected of violating fire safety norms.
A senior fire official said the next step as part of enforcement of the rules would be suspension of building permits of violators, besides invoking other applicable sections under the Disaster Management Act. He said the concerned local bodies would be asked to tag such buildings as unsuitable.
The official also pointed out that some building owners fulfilled the norms on a temporary basis to avoid action by the inspection teams. “Such persons never renew their annual maintenance contract for fire fighting equipment to save money. In fact, they are fooling themselves without cooperating in measures to prevent tragedies,” he said.
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