Work goes on, fire dept issues NOC for venues
It is raining certificates for the CWG Organizing Committee (OC). Well, No Objection Certificates (NOC) to be precise. In just four days, the Delhi Fire Services have given NOCs to all 16 Games venues. If the fire officials are to be believed, all the venues are complete and meet the requirements for the NOC.
It is raining certificates for the CWG Organizing Committee (OC). Well, No Objection Certificates (NOC) to be precise. In just four days, the Delhi Fire Services have given NOCs to all 16 Games venues. If the fire officials are to be believed, all the venues are complete and meet the requirements for the NOC.
Mike Hooper, the Games Federation CEO had earlier told HT that none of the completion certificates had been obtained. It was only after that the completion certificates started pouring in. Last week, on Thursday, the Delhi Fire Services handed out nine NOCs to various Games venues.
The remaining NOCs were issued on Sunday. The certificates were just 48 hours before the OC announced that they had handed over copies of the completion certificates from all competition and non-competition venues, including the Games Village. An NOC from the fire department is proof that all measures for fire fighting fire exits, extinguishers among other things are in place.
Without this NOC no building can be given clearance and no one can either occupy or operate from the building. But this comes at a time when officials at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range, which has also been issued an NOC, have requested that the shooting camp be postponed due to non-completion of work.
The national camp, which was to be conducted from September 3, has now been postponed to September 13. The problems with the shotgun ranges are yet to be overcome. “The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has asked us to defer the camp till September 13 which was earlier scheduled for September 3,” said Avtar Singh Sethi, the National Rifle Association of India acting president.
Senior fire officials on their part, however, claim that all the required guidelines have been followed and all proper inspections were done before issuing of these NOCs. “It is not a one day process. We have been inspecting each venue and sending lists of the things to be done from time to time.
Inspections were carried out till Sunday evening before we issued the NOCs,” said R.C. Sharma, Director Delhi Fire Services. He added that the NOCs were only issued after all the fire fighting and other facilities became functional. However even as the OC claims that the all competition and non-competition venues are complete, the fire department is yet to issue an NOC to DDA’s housing complex in Vasant Kunj.