London fire stokes burning questions

AHMEDABAD: The Grenfell Tower inferno in London’s North Kensington is a horrifying reminder that Ahmedabad’s highrises are very much in the line of fire. The fire threat is similar for the four major Gujarat cities. In Ahmedabad, for instance, 309 residential highrises either don’t have a functioning fire safety system or have failed to have their systems inspected.Fifty mixed-use highrises — with commercial and residential units — fare no better. Five major commercial highrises do not have fire clearance for their safety systems.
In February last year, the state government had brought into force the Gujarat Fire Prevention & Life Safety Act, making it mandatory to levy a fine of Rs 50,000 on those who violate regulations. But such fines can be levied only if an audit is carried out by agencies that certify fire safety systems. “At least eight fire safety audit firms had applied for the job but the AMC’s finance department has sat over the files for six months as there is no clarity on the penalty,” said a senior Ahmedabad fire department official. His concern is compounded by the fact that more residential apartments in the city are vulnerable to fire than commercial buildings.
In the central zone, a highrise apartment like Borsalli poses a major worry for the AMC’s fire department. “We cannot enter the society with our fire tenders,” said a senior AMC fire official. “If a fire breaks out, we can only douse the flames on flats that face the road. Darjeeling Apartments in Manek Chowk and Kahan Flats in Sarangpur cannot be approached at all. One wonders how a rescue mission can be carried out in an emergency.”
In the western part of the city, fire department officials point to Indraprastha, where fire vehicle entry is blocked by parked cars. “Each family owns at least two cars and two-wheelers,” the fire official said. “In Shilalekh Apartments in Shahibaug, a single fire system operates for three towers. These do not have NOCs.”
Satellite Complex in Satelite area, the official points out, has two transformers at the entrance of the society. “This society has not renewed its fire safety certifications and I doubt if they have a functional fire safety system,” he said.