Expired fire extinguishers in Panchkula MC building

Amit Bathla

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Panchkula, March 17

The main building of the Municipal Corporation in Sector 14, where the Commissioner, Mayor, Joint Commissioners and other senior officials sit, is shockingly fitted with expired extinguishers. Refills, as per the slips pasted on cylinders, are due since July last year, but senior officials are yet to act.

The fire extinguishers hanging on walls in the whole building are just for token sake and in case of a fire incident, these will be of no use.

For instance, a carbon dioxide (Co2) cylinder installed at the entrance was refilled on July 7, 2020, and had expired on July 6 last year. Its appearance suggests that no official has inspected it in a long time.

One of the fire safety service dealers based in the Industrial Area, Phase 2, Panchkula, said fire extinguishers ideally should be refilled and rechecked before the expiry period.

“It defeats the very idea of pasting a slip that conveys the due date of refilling. After expiry, the cylinder needs to be refilled immediately to keep it equipped to douse the fire,” he said. The Fire Department, which earlier used to come under the jurisdiction of the civic body, had been made a separate entity. MC Commissioner Dharamvir Singh said he would ask the officials concerned to get the cylinders checked and refilled immediately.

Rakesh Agarwal of the Panchkula Vikas Manch said, “Expired extinguishers hanging on walls in the MC building are a mere showpiece and will be of no use if a fire incident takes place. It reflects the negligent and careless attitude of civic body officials.”