GHMC overlooks fire safety measures in city

The GHMC fire prevention wing has issued only

300-400 no objection certificates (NOCs) for nearly

1.5 lakh commercial buildings below 15 metres.

Non-high-rise residential buildings too fare no better in terms of fire safety, according to experts. This makes most buildings in the city death traps in case of fire mishaps.

The GHMC’s fire prevention wing is responsible for issuing NOCs to commercial buildings below a height of 15 metres. About

1,000 NOC applications were rejected due to lack of fire safety systems or staircases or other reasons. An official from the wing said the low number was due to a circular issued earlier that NOCs were not required for structures below a height of 15 metres. The circular is no longer in force.

As for commercial structures above a height of 15 metres and residential ones above 18 metres, the state’s Disaster Response and Fire Services Department is the enforcing agency. An official from the department said their main duty was fire fighting, not fire prevention. “It is every person’s or citizen’s responsibility to take measures, because there are lakhs of buildings and only 27 fire stations in the GHMC area.”

Managing partner at Golden Sand Engineering Services, a fire safety consulting firm, Abrar Ali Khan said except for a few commercial buildings, all buildings lacked the mandated fire safety services.. However, CEO of Synergy Infra Consultants Valluri Srinivas Murthy said while builders usually maintained fire fighting equipment, once management was transferred to resident associations, they were found to be negligent in this regard.

— R. PAVAN Onlookers were puzzled to see a ‘Tamil Nadu Fire Services’ truck arrive at the Himark Chambers at Khajaguda Crossroads, Raidurgam, on Saturday. Fire department officials later said that the vehicle had been lent for the shooting of a Tamil film, whose crew had painted it over.