Fire dept questions safety measures in Indira Bhawan makeover

LUCKNOW: Makeover of multistorey building--Indira Bhawan--from an ordinary one to centrally air-conditioned one has hit a roadblock as the fire department has raised serious objections over the process in which it has been done.

Chief fire officer, AB Pandey, has shot a letter to estate department of the Yogi government pointing out serious lapses in fire safety measures in the ongoing makeover process of the 10-floor building that houses many government offices.

“A letter has been sent to the estate department pointing out hazards in the ongoing makeover of Indira Bhawan,” said Pandey.

The letter has also been marked to district magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma and maintenance department of Indira Bhawan.

However, the fire department is yet to receive any reply from the estate department.

“Converting an old 10-storey ordinary building into a centralised air conditioned building is not an easy job. Apart

from fire safety norms, there must be adequate provision for escape route of smoke in case of fire in a centralised air-conditioned building,” said JK Singh, joint director, fire department.

“This aspect and other vital points are to be taken into consideration for converting an ordinary building into a centralised air-conditioned building,” Singh added.

In a centrally air-conditioned building, there is a mechanised system installed at the building’s basement for flushing out smoke out of the building in case of fire.

As the entire building is sealpacked, this system is mandatory to ensure smoke does not remain in the building in case of fire. The Indira Bhawan campus also houses Jawahar Bhawan, another multi-storey building that houses government offices. In the twin buildings at Ashok Marg, several thousand people move daily during working hours.

The entire campus is jampacked with vehicles parked by employees and visitors.