Shops fail to meet fire safety rules

CHENNAI: T Nagar is not safe. Just one of 10 high-rise commercial complexes on Usman Road, frequented by thousands of people daily, provided an exit facility and a staircase, a reply by the Fire and Rescue Services department to a query under the RTI Act has said.
Further, not one of the buildings - two Saravana Stores outlets, Pothys, Lalitha Jewellery, LKS Gold House, Saravana Thangamaligai, Chennai Silks, Fathima Jewellery, Shree Jewellery and Sana Stores at the junction of Ramanathan Street and Rameswaram Street - holds a fire licence.Many don't even possess a hose reel, automatic smoke detection system, automatic extinguishing system (sprinkler) or side setback around the building to help fire engines move in.
"It is shocking that major textile showrooms and jewellery marts are not keen on putting fire safety systems in place.
More disasters could be waiting to happen, unless the government cracks down," said a Federation of T Nagar Residents Welfare Associations member.
In September 2008, when a fire raged through Saravana Stores on Ranganathan Street, rescue services personnel had to go via Madley Road and Natesan Street to douse the flames.
Saravana Thangamaligai on Usman Road, the public information officer of the Fire and Rescue Services department said claimed, had fire extinguishers, hose reel, wet riser and sprinklers, but not all were in a working condition. RMKV Silks, opposite Panagal Park, had provided sprinklers partially and was the only one to have provided two exit facilities and staircases to escape fire, while others remain inadequate.
Water facilities are a must for fire-fighting operations, but at least five textile and jewellery showrooms are ill-equipped in this regard. A safety audit by the Fire and Rescue Services personnel revealed that 90% of the buildings in T Nagar, especially on Ranganathan Street, violated norms, including on fire safety. Show-cause notices sent to 38 shops on Ranganathan Street two years ago haven't elicited a reply.
In the absence of stringent legal provisions, traders/builders are not spending few lakhs of rupees to create fire safe environment in T Nagar, Ranganathan Street in particular, official sources said.
"Unlike TNEB or Metrowater, we don't have punitive provisions to take on defaulters. These traders didn't rectify their mistakes nor complied with our rules. They
and haven't asked for time to comply with," said a fire and rescue services offcial.
Traders claimed they had put safety mechanisms in place. "At least 10 permanent staff from each shop has trained at the fire and rescue services centre in Tambaram. Our main objective is to ensure public safety than make money," Panagal Park and Usman Road Traders Association secretary T Sarathy told TOI.