GHMC fiat on fire safety rules

Khairatabad: A string of accidents including a massive one at the annual industrial fare Numaish, caused fear among people of Hyderabad. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is planning to take immediate measures to get rid of any untoward incidents further.

It has cracked whip on hotels, restaurants, cinema theatres, and shopping complexes for not installing proper safety measures in the establishments. Until now, the GHMC and Fire Services Department had been insisting that fire-fighting equipment be in place only in high-rise buildings.

As per the National Building Code 2005, even non-high-rise buildings should provide certain firefighting equipment on their premises. But both the GHMC and fire services had been concentrating only on high rises. No objection certificates by fire services and Airports Authority of India are mandatory for high-rises.

GHMC has directed all the multi-storey buildings to submit self-appraisal for fire audit form. GHMC passed the circular to all circle offices in the city in this regard. They made it mandatory for multi-storey buildings. Every building should contain a staircase, ramp way and emergency exit in their buildings. Every floor should have enough fire extinguishers and hose reels. Officials said that automatic fire detection machines should be mandatory in multiplexes and shopping malls. The electric fire alarm system should be needed in every commercial building to get rid of fire accidents.

During the recent fire accident in Khan Latif Khan building, fire escalated due to the existence of fire alarm system and electricity connections present side-by-side. Hence, officials directed the owners to set up the electricity system and fire alarm systems separately to avoid unnecessary mishaps.

Officials advised the owners to arrange water sprinklers and water tanks on their buildings according to the capacity of the building. Officials are planning to send the forms consisting of all the details, to respective owners.