Warehouses lack safety measures

Satinder Pal Singh

Zirakpur, August 18

Two major fire incidents in December last year and the one at a medicine godown on Saturday exposed the poor safety measures adopted at godowns in Zirakpur.

The latest incident is a chilling reminder of how conveniently the rules are tweaked and clearances are managed in the godown area of Zirakpur. Absence of proper arrangements to deal with fire incidents pose threat to lives of a large number of traders as well as residents.

Though the Fire and Rescue Services Department was quick to respond to the fire that broke out in a godown of a pharmaceutical company on Saturday, the decision to set in place a high-end fire mechanism for narrow and congested lanes is yet to take off.

Moreover, lack of space for pavements, alongside the roads, and absence of water stored exclusively for firefighting hit the response time in case of mishaps.

In December last year, a team led by Dera Bassi fire officer Manjit Singh had carried out a survey of at least 20-25 godowns located in Bhabat village. It was found that not a single building had proper fire safety arrangements or no objection certificate (NOC).

The fire officer said as per the Firefighting Services Act, establishments housing goods and inflammable substances have to obtain an NOC from the Fire Department.

He said his team had noticed that packaging material and other goods were stored in godowns that did not even have sufficient ventilation, let alone water sprinklers and smoke detectors.

The survey team found that most buildings constructed in the godown area were also being used for residential purposes by employees. These employees work on daily wages and have neither the requisite level of awareness nor the resources to insist on safety measures, added the fire officer.

The officer said it was sheer carelessness on the part of building owners which resulted in fire accidents. “They apparently do not bother about complying with the fire safety norms, as they are confident of getting an insurance claim in the event of a mishap,” the officer added.

Past incidents

• December 24, 2017 Biscuit godown gutted at Bhabat village, Zirakpur
• December 12, 2017 Fire at a diaper godown in Bhabat village
• June 27, 2017 Fire broke out on the fifth floor of a housing society, Swastik Vihar. A fireman sustained injuries as LPG cylinder exploded in the kitchen due to the fire
• May 28, 2017  Blaze at a showroom in Mamta Enclave, Zirakpur. No casualty.
• December 26, 2016 Fire broke out on the ground floor of Ashiana Complex in Zirakpur. No casualty.