Most of hotels and lodges, shopping complexes and malls, function halls, bar and restaurants in Greater Hyderabad boundaries are possible death traps for consumers and general public.
This was the shocking discovery in the checking done by the Fire Prevention Wing (FPW) of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) from April 15 to 20. It was recognized that 80 to 90 percent of the above mentioned buildings failed to follow fire safety measures.
FPW conducted inspections on hospitals, nursing homes and health care units located in the twin cities and identified that 295 hospitals out of 336 with an accommodation of nearly 50 beds failed to follow safety measures (90 percent).
After doing inspection of 372 establishments like bar and restaurants (69), hotels and lodges (142), shops and malls (118) and function halls (43) in the GHMC confinement, the authorities identified imperfections in implementation of fire safety standards in almost 80 to 90 percent of them. The inspections were done after the major fire accidents happened at the Park Hospital in Somajiguda and at few other stores in the Hyderabad recently.
The fire safety evaluation was done on eight guidelines like methods of access (way to road), open spaces, ways of escape like external staircases, availability of fire extinguishers, fixed fire-fighting fittings as per NBC, emergency lighting using battery backup for minimum two hours in escape route, training for security personnel about operating of fire-safety equipment and feasible windows in the landings of existing staircase and slope provision for smoke emission.
The Health and Sanitation section and Town Planning section will give notices on the managements and supervise them to reform the deficiencies within two months.
If no corrective action is taken after this period, legal action will be taken against the buildings under the AP Fire Services Act 1999. (Source: Express Buzz)