In both Telangana and Seemandhra regions of the State, the A.P. State Disaster Response and Fire Services Department has identified more than 2.80 lakh hazardous premises and in that 1.01 lakh are schools and colleges.
Officials had carried out inspections between April 2007 and March 2014 and it shows that only 1.09 per cent of such premises had taken a NOC (no-objection certificate) from the fire department.
The figure does not include data of buildings that have taken NOCs from municipal authorities. Only buildings that are more than 5 floors, those below 15 metres (for commercial spaces) and 18 metres (for residential spaces), have to take the NOCs from the fire department.
According to the statistics, 1,01,522 schools and colleges and 78,258 business offices in both regions lacked fire-safety norms. And 30,039 and 26,086 small-scale industries and wholesale shops respectively were also hazardous and lacked fire-safety norms. Out of the 1,534 cinema theatres and 30 multiplexes that were inspected by the officials, only 11 and 5 respectively had obtained NOCs.
According to rules, commercial and residential buildings who are above 15 metres and 18 metres in height should have an NOC from the fire department before construction.