VIBHA VERMA
vibha@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Despite warnings by the Fire Services, about their buildings, including the Central Jail in Aguada being unsafe, authorities have shown a highly thoughtless attitude and refused to comply with the directions, except for installing fire extinguishers at their premises.
In the wake of the Mantralaya inferno, the Directorate of Fire & Emergency Service had inspected and subsequently written to dozens of government offices which are housed in buildings without fire safety, and stated that they should not be help responsible for any loss or damage in case of fire mishaps.
As on date, more than 2000 such institutions have undergone thorough inspections and replies from most are awaited on action they have taken. Officials said since the department has no powers to penalise violators, the recommendations are not heeded to.
According to government records, Police Headquarters, Collectorate building, Central Jail Aguada, Directorate of Health Services, Vidhyut Bhavan, Directorate of Settlement & Land Records, Electricity Department in Mapusa, Government College Of Arts And Commerce in Virnoda-Pernem, Directorate of Municipal Administration, Pernem police station and Government Polytechnic at Altinho Panjim are just a few which have not heeded the directions of the Fire Department that had enlisted several loopholes in the fire protection measures during regular inspections held till 2013-end.
The fire protection recommendations have been issued as per the National Building Code of India 2005 (Part IV) (Fire and Life Safety).
An fire official said all concerned buildings were issued letters that the department will in no way be held responsible for any eventuality due to fire. But there was no response to this communiqué as well.
The officials said that certain old buildings such as the old High Court which now houses the Excise Department, Printing Press & Stationary and Captain of Ports cannot comply with all the fire protection measures owing to its weak structure.
“These structures cannot bear the weight of storage tanks for fire protection water and neither can they fully comply with the fire safety recommendations because the buildings are too weak to sustain these. Nonetheless, they are fitted with basic fire prevention equipment,” said a senior fire officer.
Director Ashok Menon said“We have given recommendations but the onus lies on the institutions and the building owners/occupants to ensure fire safety precautions are taken. They have to write back to us informing that they have complied with the recommendations so that we can conduct another inspection and certify the buildings as fire-safe…,” he said, adding, “In the present cases, we have decided to grant some more time to all the respective authorities.”
Some buildings lacking fire safety measures
l Industrial Training Institute, Tuem-Pernem l Government Complex Building, Pernem l Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, Panjim l Junta House, Panjim l Goa College of Pharmacy l Sharam Shakti Bhavan l Major portion of Goa Medical College l Goa University
