Barotiwala: Owners of gutted perfume unit ‘violated’ TCP norms

Ambika Sharma

Solan, February 15

Owners of the gutted perfume manufacturing unit, NR Aromas at Jharmajri in Barotiwala, had violated the Town and Country Planning (TCP) norms by installing tin sheds on open space.

Installed tin sheds

As per the TCP norms, the unit was supposed to undertake construction on 60 per cent area and keep the remaining space vacant. They, however, installed tin sheds on all four sides with one shed extending upto three floors. — Ganeshi, Town Planner, Baddi-Barotiwala Nalagarh Development Authority

Ganeshi, Town Planner, Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh Development Authority, said, “As per the TCP norms, the unit was supposed to undertake construction on 60 per cent area and keep the remaining space vacant. They, however, installed tin sheds on all four sides with one shed extending upto three floors in violation of the guidelines.”

There were three floors as against the permissible two floors and an additional service floor for placing machines and ducts was also constructed. Lack of space acted as a major deterrent for firefighting and rescue operations.

Set up on 600 sq m on an industrial plot in 2010, the unit expanded to 750 sq m in 2013.

Building violations have been observed in several industrial units in the state’s industrial hub of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh which houses more than 90 per cent of the state’s industry.

A committee headed by the CEO, BBN Development Authority, comprising Baddi SP, Nalagarh SDM, Labour Officer, commandant Home Guards and Fire Officer among others, had examined the fire safety preparedness of nearly 720 industrial units in 2009 after 10 lives were lost in a fire incident.

They had found blatant violations of the TCP norms. The building designs had been violated so much so that it left little scope for firefighting and rescue operations in case of a mishap. The cluster of industrial areas developed by the government agencies, including the HPSIDC, and Industries Department topped the list of violations.

Units set up on private plots were found better as far as building norms were concerned. The committee has recommended adoption of national building code (NBC) as a mandatory provision in the TCP norms.

The NBC is comprehensive building code, for regulating the building construction activities across the country. It serves as a model code for adoption by all agencies involved in construction work.

With multiplicity of agencies involved in granting various permissions to an industrial unit, the crucial area of regulating the fire compliance certification has failed to be effective. In a bid to rope in more industries, the BBN area has developed into an unregulated maze of units where fire safety norms have been ignored.