KOCHI: Do you care about fire and safety measures before purchasing an apartment? It is a fact that very few residents think about fire and safety measures in the apartments and this has resulted in many apartments lacking any kind of fire safety measures.With multi-storey apartments mushrooming in the city, the issue of fire safety has to be taken in all its seriousness. One of the major problems is that apartment residents do not realise the importance of averting disasters.The fire and safety norms have been prepared by the National Building Code of India. The Kerala Building Rules also specify stipulations for fire safety. According to the building laws, it is mandatory that every multi-level buildings must install fire prevention equipment. Residential buildings with more than three floors and commercial buildings with more than two floors have to obtain a no-objection certificate from the Fire and Rescue Services Department. The certificate is a prerequisite to obtain a licence from the local body.In one of the major fire accidents that occurred at a hospital in the city this year, the fire tenders could not reach the spot. According to the Kerala Building Rules every building should be constructed by providing enough space for the fire force vehicle to reach the spot. Ernakulam District Residents Association Apex Council (EDRAAC) president Rangadas Prabhu said a majority of buildings in the city do not have any kind of fire and safety measures. “It is true that many of the apartments in the city do not have proper fire and safety measures. The annual checking for reviewing the fire and safety measures is not being conducted. The buildings and apartments are vulnerable to fire accidents and the authorities have failed to take action against this,” Rangadas Prabhu said.Joe Kuruvilla, Divisional Officer, Fire and Rescue Services Department, said inspection is being carried out at every building but a major problem is that after securing the certificate some builders make further illegal construction. The Fire and Rescue Services team which carries out annual inspection cannot initiate action because there is no provision for it in the existing laws.“The law suggests that every building should be made with enough space for the fire force vehicle to enter from four parts of the building but often such facility could be seen only once the building is constructed. Later owing to space constraints the apartment builders alter the fire safety arrangements,” said Joe Kurvilla.Town Planning Officer Subash K S said that they have sought the help of Fire and Rescue Services Department to check fire safety measures. He said that all apartments in the city have such facility and the corporation had been strict in this regard. When asked whether all the buildings have provided the space for fire tenders to reach the accident spot, he said the rule was formulated recently so that old buildings do not have such facilities. However, he said the laws are being made strict for the newly constructed buildings.
Comments
0 comment