Team Herald
PANJIM: Negligence in compliance of safety rules and audits is nothing less than playing with fire as the State authorities and agencies concerned entrusted with the responsibility of dousing the fire and rising up to emergency situations appear to be passing the buck on each other.
The issue of the overall fire safety and emergency preparedness has come to the fore following the “biggest disaster in fire emergency in the history of Goa” reported at the Pilerne Industrial Estate.
Multiple agencies in Goa handling the fire and emergency safety of the State appear to be ill-informed as far as their duties in case of emergencies are concerned.
Director of Fire and Emergency Services Nitin Raikar said, “There are 10 points that the National Building Code of India, Fire and Life Safety mandate to be followed by everyone who have residential, commercial or industrial setup. This includes awareness as well as enforcement. But they wake up after incidents take place,” he said.
“The responsibilities of fire safety audits and awareness have been assigned, but except for the Fire and Emergency Services I don’t think any agency carries out their duties,” Raikar said.
In a chat with Herald, Panjim Mayor Rohit Monserrate said, “Checking of fire safety is the purview of the Fire Department. However, we do check in the initial stages of construction. But the Fire Department has to keep a regular check.”
GOACAN’s Roland Martins said, “The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) can hold awareness programmes through its councillors in their respective wards. In fact we have written to the Deputy Collector of Tiswadi to inform all the councillors to know what is to be done.”
“Because of the rules and regulations, advisories and guidelines are not clear. The Fire Department has no teeth. Either the teeth have to be given to CCP or the fire department should be empowered,” he said.
It may be recalled that the High Court in December 2022 in an order had underlined the fact that negligence in compliance of safety rules and audits is nothing less than playing with fire.
The High Court of Bombay at Goa had ordered periodic inspections and audits for fire safety through the North and South Goa Planning and Development Authority, CCP, Commissioners and Chief Officers of Municipal Councils, Directorate of Panchayats and the Town and Country Planning Authorities.
The fire incident of Pilerne has served as a reminder to the authorities in figuring out robust measures to ensure that the State and its people are safe from these dangerous incidents.
