Fire department sounds caution on tinderbox hotel

For the second time in the past one year, Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services Department has sounded out the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) about the risks in allowing a hotel to function sans fire safety norms.

In a communication to the East Zone Commissioner of GHMC, Ranga Reddy District Fire Officer B. Harinatha Reddy has requested for halting regular operations of Sitara Grand Multi-Cuisine Hotel, L.B. Nagar, until it complies with fire and life safety norms in public interest as it not only has banquet halls hosting several people during functions but also lodging facility on two floors.

Fire personnel had noticed glaring inadequacies in safety guidelines after battling an early morning blaze on April 8 — a glow signboard at the front side caught fire, sending flames and smokes into the first, second and third floors of the building,

The fire officer, in his report, pointed out that the hotel belonging to Namishree Infrastructure and Projects (P), Ltd., housed in building of two cellars, ground plus five floors or 19.5 metres high required all necessary fire fighting equipment of a multi-storey structure, but claimed to be of 15 metres in height and even took permission from the fire prevention wing of the municipal corporation over five years ago.

Mandatory open spaces all round of six metres is lacking for the building with available open space occupied by generator and other equipment. Illegal structures in whatever open space left will not allow any kind of fire fighting in emergencies.

The civic body was informed that, apart from deficiencies in means of escape like staircase and ramps, it has only 24 of the mandatory 106 fire extinguishers, three of four hydrants absent, no automatic fire detection and alarm system and none of the equipment other than fire extinguishers are in working condition with not a drop of water coming out of the 877 sprinklers!

“If the fire had taken place during business hours, it could have been disastrous. A similar situation led to the Kamala Mills fire mishap in Mumbai which took 15 lives. Our fire truck and mist bike battled for half hour to bring it under control,” said Mr. Reddy, when contacted. Last year, a Somajiguda hotel was declared as fire hazard and GHMC advised to shut it down, but it continues to function merrily.