| Despite multiple orders, Govt Deptts fail to carry out fire safety audit | | | Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Mar 7: Though the Governor N N Vohra and the Disaster Management department have asked the government to ensure fire safety audit of all government buildings, including hospitals in the state, it has been observed that the authorities are not taking the directives seriously and most of the departments have failed to put fire safety audit in place.
Sources said that in the backdrop of the historic buildings remaining vulnerable, people across the state have been calling upon the government for safety and fire audit of all such structures of public importance. Besides, other buildings in the state like hospitals, schools, offices, shopping malls.
Governor N.N. Vohra has also asked the chief secretary, to issue immediate instructions to all deputy commissioners in the state to have an immediate fire safety audit conducted, particularly in regard to hospitals, shopping centres, malls, and seal all premises which have the risk of catching fire, collapsing etc.
However sources told early Times that though the instruction was issued by the government to all the departments, but the authorities in most of the departments have failed to do the needful.
Sources said that baring a few, the government hospitals, buildings and educational institutes in the state lack fire fighting system thus endangering the lives of thousands of people. Even SK Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura which caters health care needs of a vast number of patients, has no proper fire safety mechanism in place, while the government has failed to conduct Fire Safety Audit of the district hospitals in the state.
Sources said that there is urgent need of safety audit in all government buildings, hospitals, educational institutions Malls. "The fire safety measures at places particularly with electrical installations should be reviewed. In most places, organizers and management install a few fire extinguishers in the name of fire safety. However, under Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act this is not the only requirement," sources said.
The government recently asked for identification of "major lifeline buildings" in districts and conduct their fire safety audit within a month.
The order was issued by Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (MRRRD), department of J&K government, and sent to Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Chairpersons of District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).
It is to mention here that according to National Building Code (NBC), Fire safety mechanism depends on nature and construction of the building.
"Normally, we need fire plug, the provision of which has to be kept on the main water line. Besides, dedicated water source of 50,000 litre capacity will also be useful in extinguishing the fire," one of the officials in Fire and emergency said. The official added that "unnecessary drop gates" erected by the locals obstruct the movement of fire tenders. |
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