Fire advisories issued to 6k commercial, government buildings in Chandigarh

As per the audit, most of these buildings do not have emergency exit points, fire extinguishers with ISI mark installed, hose reels with accessories provided, automatic detecting alarm systems installed, loose electricity wiring found in most buildings, and fire smoke check doors not installed

Failing to comply with the fire safety norms, the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh has issued fire advisories to 6,000 commercial and government buildings in the past two months after a safety audit was conducted. There are around 20,000 commercial and government buildings in the city.

As per the norm, the MC can act against high-rise buildings (above 15 m), and in the city, there are around 400 such buildings. (HT file)

As per the audit, most of these buildings do not have emergency exit points, fire extinguishers with ISI mark installed, hose reels with accessories provided, automatic detecting alarm systems installed, loose electricity wiring found in most buildings, and fire smoke check doors not installed.

As per the norm, the MC can act against high-rise buildings (above 15 m), and in the city, there are around 400 such buildings. According to the survey, only 20% of the high-rise buildings have obtained fire safety norms.

A senior officer of the municipal corporation said the audit is still going on and they have already issued advisories to around 6,000 commercial and government buildings in the past two months.

The civic body can only take action against buildings that are above 15 meters. Notices have been issued to around 300 violators and they have been asked to comply within 15 days, failing which action will be taken, he added.

In the wake of frequent fires at the PGIMER, UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit had directed the hospital authorities to comply with the National Building Code for obtaining fire safety certificates to ensure the safety of patients and staff. At present, PGIMER has a fire certificate for only one of the total 17 buildings.

Aiming at safeguarding the life of fire personnel, the Municipal Corporation Chandigarh has procured 28 pyrolon /splash tight suits as well as 14 chemical/gas tight suits for the utility of firefighters to protect them while responding to the various biochemical threats.

This is the first instance when the emergency response department of the municipal corporation has procured this kind of equipment to safeguard the life of fire personnel.

The estimated amount for the procurement of these personal protective gear is approximately ₹51 lakh.

This step is part of the municipal corporation’s mission to ensure fire preparedness in the city. The MCC has added seven bullet motorcycles and 14 water mist and CAF high pressure using special AFFF for firefighting in the narrow lanes recently.

The MCC has also purchased an inflatable emergency lighting tower. The inflatable emergency lighting tower is used at the time of major disasters like building collapse, fire incidents, and rescue operations during night hours.