Community centres in Chandigarh to be made fire-safe, work on

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, June 14

The Municipal Corporation has started the process of installing the firefighting system at all its 40 community centres in the city.

The civic body has started floating tenders for the same in a phased manner. Fire extinguishers on all floors, the automated sprinkler system in the entire building, the fire-alarm system and fire hydrants are to be installed besides other equipment at the community centres at an estimated cost of Rs 9 crore.

Last year, the civic body had got a study done by a department and identified community centres and dispensaries where the firefighting system is to be installed. Sources said Rani Laxmi Bai Mahila Bhawan in Sector 38-C has no fire NOC even as several government functions were held there.

A meeting of the Finance and Contract Committee held in August last year decided that the firefighting arrangements should be put in place at these centres and dispensaries, which is required to obtain the NOC from the Fire Department. Getting the NOC is mandatory as per the building bylaws.

The installation of equipment will begin at dispensaries in the second phase. Though a number of modern community centres had been built in the city in the past few years, the authorities had failed to put in place the basic fire safety arrangements there.

“We will inspect other buildings under the MC as well and install the firefighting system wherever needed. The equipment will also be checked for expiry. After completing the work, the fire safety certificate will be obtained,” said an MC official.

All these centres, which witness large gatherings on the occasions of weddings and other events, have been operating without the mandatory fire safety certificate/no-objection certificate (NOC).

In its survey conducted in 2022, the Fire and Emergency Services Department of the MC had found that of more than 20,000 commercial establishments in the city, not even 1,000 had the fire safety certificate/no-objection certificate. While the MC is serving notices on these establishments, it is still in the process of making its own buildings fire-safe.