Open house: What needs to be done to ensure that fire norms are complied with?

Frequent fire incidents at commercial establishments in the city are a cause for concern. Many such establishments have not obtained fire NOCs. Senior officials of the MC, who let these units function without adhering to fire safety norms, are equally to blame. Defaulters should be heavily fined. They should be given a fresh deadline to put in place foolproof fire safety arrangements and obtain an NOC. The authorities may resort to harsh steps such as snapping the electric and water connections or sealing the premises of defaulters.

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Capt Amar Jeet (retd), Kharar

Fire insurance be made mandatory

Fire insurance should be made mandatory to run a commercial establishment. Higher premium should be charged from establishments having poor fire safety arrangements. The MC fire wing should be strengthened to rein in defaulters.

Ashok Kumar Goel, Panchkula

Identify staff colluding with violators

There is a need to identify MC staff who are hand in glove with commercial establishments flouting the fire safety rules. The MC should constitute a survey team to regularly hold surprise inspections. Violators should be heavily penalised. There should be no room for leniency towards defaulters.

Kumar Gupt, Panchkula

Conduct quarterly inspections

The incidents of fire at shops and other commercial units have been showing an increasing trend. A lackadaisical attitude of owners towards fire safety is also to blame for the rising fires. The administration should conduct joint inspections on a quarterly basis. It should be ensured that every factory, shop, school or gym has fire extinguishers.

NPS Sohal, Chandigarh

Launch online portal for plaints

It is laxity on the part of the MC that commercial establishments continue to run without fire NOC. Surprise checks at commercial units will deter owners from flouting fire safety norms. An online portal for complaints should be launched. Establishments can be asked to submit a report on the norms every six months.

Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

Focus on fire-prone commercial units

Old boiler plants working overtime and short-circuit are the main causes of fires at commercial establishments. Most factories have poor firefighting arrangements. Fire extinguishers are quite often not refilled or replaced. The need of the hour is to arouse the collective consciousness of factory owners and law-enforcing agencies to precious human lives that are at risk in commercial units sans firefighting arrangements. The department concerned must inspect fire-prone units and keep their managements duly informed. The fire brigade’s number should be prominently displayed at factories.

Yash Khetarpal, Panchkula

NOC must for getting occupation certificate

It is very unfortunate that commercial establishments do not follow fire safety norms just to save money. Periodical fire safety checks be carried out for the safety of employees. Fire NOC be made compulsory for getting occupation certificate. All multi-storey establishments should have two lifts and as many staircases for a safe evacuation of employees in case of fire.

Col TBS Bedi, Mohali

Take stringent action against violators

The families of poor workers get ruined due to fire incidents at commercial establishments. Stringent action should be taken against industrialists who run businesses without obtaining fire NOC. The administration and the MC should conduct regular surveys to ensure that all establishments have fire NOC.

MR Bhateja, Nayagaon

Joint efforts by MC, UT, industrialists needed

Many people running businesses only think about money making and pay no attention to fire safety norms. A survey should be conducted to detect vulnerable spots and violations of fire safety norms. The authorities should act tough against erring units. As far as factory owners are concerned, it is their duty to regularly check electric wires, joints and load, etc, to prevent the incidents of short-circuit. Joint efforts by the MC, the Fire Department and factory owners only can keep fire incidents in check.

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi

Formulate stringent SOP to prevent fires

Industrialists and the authorities concerned have learnt no lessons from the previous incidents of major fires. Action starts after every fire incident but little is done to prevent it. Building owners, industrialists and the department that issues fire NOC must be held accountable for such incidents. Regular checks must be carried out by the fire authorities to make sure all units have proper fire safety arrangements. The administration must formulate a stringent SOP to prevent fire incidents in future.

Wg Cdr JS Minhas (retd), Mohali

Strengthen fire brigade

A majority of commercial units don’t have fire NOC. There are no timely inspections by the authorities concerned. The equipment installed at these units is either outdated or expired. The administration should increase fees and taxes so as to strengthen the fire brigade and equip it with latest equipment. Regular inspections should be carried out and violators heavily fined.

Avinash Goyal, Chandigarh

Break nexus between owners, corrupt staff

It is a wake-up call for the owners of commercial buildings as well as the authorities concerned. The MC should conduct regular inspections of all establishments. Staff need to be trained in the use of fire systems. The nexus between unscrupulous building owners and corrupt officials needs to be unearthed. Owners must ensure that their units have fire extinguishers on all floors, escape routes without hindrances and smoke-sensor sprinklers. Fix the responsibility of officials and punish violators.

Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula

Take erring officials to task

The owners of Batra Breweries, where a massive fire broke out recently, must be booked and officials concerned taken to task. Most building where fires had broken out in the past few years had violated fire safety laws. There is a need for periodical inspections to find if buildings are fire rule-compliant.

Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

Ensure implementation of safety measures

No commercial or big residential unit should be granted fire NOC or completion certificate till it complies with fire safety norms. Defaulters should be served notices asking for compliance with safety norms within a stipulated time. The buildings should be sealed in case of non-compliance of norms. Human lives are precious and nobody should put them at risk.

Bharat Bhushan Sharma

Need to amend bylaws

The administration and the MC have totally failed in the implementation of fire bylaws due to corruption. The MC surveys remain only on paper. A large number of commercial establishments and offices have still not obtained fire NOC. The MC must ensure that all fire safety norms are complied with. Defaulters should be punished or heavily fined. There is need to amend fire safety bylaws and make them more practical. It is the duty of the government to provide safety to the public.

Sumesh Kumar Badhwar, Mohali

Seal buildings of violators

Stringent bylaws and awareness among workers and visitors to commercial buildings will go a long way in resolving the matter. There must be a platform where workers can report fire safety violations and the owner should be slapped a hefty fine and his building sealed for a specific period. The authorities should conduct regular checks to ensure that all fire safety measures are in place at commercial units.

Gurmehak Kaur

Fix loose cables

In view of frequent incidents of fire, the fire brigade needs to be equipped with the latest equipment to minimise the loss of human lives as well as property. Officials of the Electricity Department should get loosely hanging overhead wires fixed to prevent short-circuit, which is the main cause of most fires. They must also check if the electricity load of residential as well as commercial buildings is appropriate.

Savita Kuthiala

Train staff in use of fire systems

Buildings such as offices, hospitals, shopping malls and coaching centres must comply with the rules and regulations laid down by the Fire Department. Such buildings should be equipped with sprinklers, fire hose cabinets, smoke sensors and fire blankets. Hindrance-free fire exits must be there. People working in these buildings must be provided with the basic training in the use of fire safety equipment. Regular inspections of these equipment should be done.

Khushkaran Singh

Hold regular fire safety audits

It is unfortunate that most building owners do not care about obtaining fire NOC. The matter should be viewed seriously by the municipal authorities. Regular fire safety audits need to be conducted by the staff concerned and action taken against defaulters.

RPS Chopra, Chandigarh

No proper enforcement of fire bylaws

The past fires at commercial establishments show the lack of proper enforcement of fire bylaws. The MC has to carry out a fire audit of all commercial establishments. The administration must sensitise public and building owners to fire safety rules. Training sessions in fire safety should be carried out in commercial areas. The MC should seal the buildings sans fire NOC. Stringent action such as hefty penalties or cancellation of shop licence should be taken against violators.

Dr Anil Kumar Yadav, Chandigarh

Corruption to blame for menace

The authorities concerned should make sure that buildings are fire safety-compliant. Corruption is also to blame for the increasing instances of fire. A strict vigil by trained professionals and regular inspections may help in ensuring fire safety-compliant buildings.

Charu Malhotra, Mohali

Be your own sentinel

Even the best of safety measures would be found wanting unless each one working or visiting large buildings becomes one’s own sentinel and saviour. The approach road to the temple in Sector 20 of Panchkula is a narrow blind alley. A large number of devotees inside the temple on holy days. The approach road should be enough wide to facilitate the movement of a fire engine right up to the temple.

Lalit Bharadwaj, Panchkula

Issue fire advisories to establishments

The MC should issue advisories and notices to industrial units on fire safety norms. Regular inspections should be held and violators dealt with strictly. Obviously, it is the duty of the MC to take every precaution to prevent fire incidents. The buildings of violators should be sealed. This way, commercial establishments can be made a safe place to work at.

Anita K Tandon, Mundi Kharar

Blacklist erring establishments

Even as major fire incidents have seen an uptick, a number of commercial establishments are throwing the standard safety norms to the winds. A large number of commercial establishments are yet to obtain the mandatory fire NOC from the civic body. To ensure compliance of the standard safety norms, the dispensation needs to act tough against errant commercial establishments. The blacklisting of such establishments, imposing hefty fines on them and stringent punishment, including jail term, would go a long way in keeping in check the increasing incidents of fire. It’s now or never.

Ramesh K Dhiman, Chandigarh

Seal units of repeat offenders

A fresh survey should be carried out and notices may be issued to establishments that have no fire safety equipment or have these in a non-serviceable condition. Defaulters may be given a month to put in place appropriate fire safety measures and obtain NOC. In case of further violations, the establishments should be sealed. Electric wiring in buildings must be checked and certified by the Electric Department.

Sqn Ldr MS Johar (retd), Chandigarh

Don’t wait, act now

The authorities concerned should not wait for owners to comply with the fire bylaws rather carry out inspections of all buildings. Hefty penalties should be imposed on building owners for violations. New buildings should not be approved unless these have proper fire safety equipment.

Sukhwant Bhullar, Chandigarh

QUESTION

As Air Quality Index (AQI) recently touched the figure of 301 and slipped to the “very poor” category in Chandigarh, what steps should the UT Administration take to maintain the quality of air in the City Beautiful?

Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to openhouse@tribunemail.com