Fire safety checks find gaps at coaching centres in Ludhiana

Fire safety officer Sukhwinder Singh, who is leading the inspections, said most of the institutes checked so far did not have the mandatory NOC and lacked adequate fire-safety arrangements

Most coaching institutes inspected by the fire safety department in the city have been found operating without fire-safety no-objection certificates (NOCs), prompting the department to issue notices and step up inspections to ensure compliance with safety norms.

So far, 48 institutes in Kitchlu Nagar, Bharat Nagar, Tuition Market and other areas have been inspected. (HT)

The department began surveying coaching institutes in June, with teams checking fire-safety arrangements and NOCs at establishments across the city. So far, 48 institutes in Kitchlu Nagar, Bharat Nagar, Tuition Market and other areas have been inspected.

Fire safety officer Sukhwinder Singh, who is leading the inspections, said most of the institutes checked so far did not have the mandatory NOC and lacked adequate fire-safety arrangements. “Most of the institutes lack any safety system. It is rare to find one with an NOC,” he said.

Commercial establishments are required to install prescribed fire-safety equipment and obtain an NOC from the department before operating.

The department has issued notices to most of the institutes found lacking the required arrangements or NOCs. However, officials said most of them did not respond to the notices, following which a second warning has been issued, asking them to rectify the deficiencies and obtain the requisite NOC.

“We will continue to visit more and more institutes and check for fire-safety arrangements and NOCs,” he said.

He added that institutes failing to comply would face further action, with the department taking up the matter with the municipal corporation and the district administration to ensure enforcement of fire-safety regulations.

The inspections come amid concerns over fire-safety compliance among the large number of IELTS and coaching institutes operating in the city.

District fire safety officer Jaswinder Singh Bhanga said the department would continue conducting inspections on the ground to identify institutes not complying with fire-safety norms and ensure that the required safeguards were in place for students and teachers.