The Department of Fire and Rescue Services on Tuesday served notices on five builders who had constructed high-rise apartment complexes in the capital without observing any fire safety regulations.
Officers also found that the builders had not applied for fire safety clearance at any stage of the construction.
The Municipal Corporation had allowed residents to occupy the high-rises, which lacked the mandatory no objection certificate (NOC) from the Fire department.
The glaring lack of strictness, which indicated high-level corruption, has potentially endangered the safety of hundreds of occupants, the Fire department said in a communique to the District Collector.
Criminal negligence
The fire safety authorities also pointed out that builders had violated the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and they should be held liable for criminal negligence if an accident occurred.
Officers said that the builders had skimped on fire safety measures to squeeze profits. Some of the buildings had only one flight of narrow stairs for residents to escape if they had to evacuate the high-rises in a hurry.
The congested stairwells were used as dumping ground for discarded household items, including inflammable packing. Moreover, the apartments lacked fire hydrants, fire alarms and necessary fire fighting equipment. Some did not have the setback required for fire engines to operate freely.
Inspections to continue
A senior officer said the accent was on fire prevention. The department would intensify inspections to detect establishments and entities which economise on fire safety to maximise profits.
The Fire department lacked the prosecutorial authority to enforce fines or penalise violators. It could at best send a damning report against the offenders to the local body or District Collector with a recommendation to invoke the Disaster Management Act against them. It has urged the government to pass a law to surmount the legal handicap.
The special drive would also focus on illegal warehouses and establishments that stock inflammable materials, including plastic and styrofoam, with limited protection against fires. Officers from the Electrical Inspectorate would work in tandem with the fire authorities. Fire officers would also inspect the fire safety measures at fuel outlets, hotels, gas depots, and other establishments.