Buildings ignore fire safety norms

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, November 24

Fire safety certificates have not been renewed for a large number of buildings in the city. No action has been initiated by the Fire Department in this regard.

An act of negligence came to light today when the Bathinda Tribune team went to check the fire safety arrangements at Red Cross Society office.

The team was surprised to find that a new school shifted to the building of Red Cross Society has installed a fire extinguisher on the wall outside a classroom, but there is no date or anything else written on the extinguisher.

A majority of petrol pumps in the city are seen violating the safety guidelines, putting the lives of people at risk.

No fuel station has taken the mandatory fire safety certificate from the fire brigade and nor the fire brigade officials have ever issued any notice to the petrol pump owners.

Apart from this, many fire stations have not kept sand buckets and foam pump, required to stop the fire in emergency situation at the petrol pump.

More distressing is the fact that the Fire Department has no power to act against the fuel stations, which are permitted and regulated by the Union Ministry.

Some fuel stations, having large tanks of inflammable diesel and petrol, are situated close to residential colonies, hospitals and schools, which is a major threat to the public.

As Army’s ammunition depot, thermal power plant, oil depots and various cotton and textile mills are located in the city and its periphery, little negligence can cause huge loss.

A fire brigade officer said many buildings, including fuel stations, in the city had never renewed fire safety certificate from the department.

They get the certificate before the inauguration but they never get it renewed, which should be done every year, he added.

Negligence in arrangements

• An act of negligence came to light on Friday when the Bathinda Tribune team went to check the fire safety arrangements at Red Cross Society office. 
• The team was surprised to find that a new school shifted to the building of Red Cross Society has installed a fire extinguisher on the wall outside a classroom, but there is no date or anything else written on the extinguisher. 

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