Panchkula buildings sans fire safety equipment to get MC notice

Panchkula, June 6

Several educational institutes are functioning from buildings in the city. As these buildings don’t have fire safety equipment, the lives of students studying in these institutes are always at risk.

A recent fire incident at a coaching institute in the city on May 31 raised questions over the lackadaisical approach of the building owners and the fire brigade wing of the municipal corporation (MC) towards safety measures. Now, the MC fire brigade wing has started a survey of properties which don’t have fire safety equipment and the certificate of the Fire Department for carrying on commercial activities.

An official in the MC fire brigade wing said, “A commercial building at Sector 16, which was being used to run an institute, did not have the requisite fire-safety equipment. When a fire outbreak in the building, there were no fire extinguishers, water dispensation systems or other items to save students. They had to be evacuated with the help of a ladder by officials of the fire brigade wing.”

Requesting anonymity, the official said, “Various buildings in the city don’t adhere to the fire safety norms. There are institutes in many sectors which give coaching to school and college students. Many such institutes don’t have necessary fire-safety equipment.”

Panchkula District Fire officer Tarsem Rana said, “The MC fire brigade wing will carry out a survey of commercial, institutional and industrial buildings in the city to check whether their owners have installed the necessary fire-safety equipment. If found lacking, owners of such buildings would be instructed to install fire-safety equipment on their building premises and make improvement to ward of any untoward incidents. We will also issue notices to building owners, who are not complying with the safety norms.”