16 shopping complexes lacking fire safety sealed

SURAT: The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Wednesday sealed at least 16 shopping complexes which either did not have any fire safety system installed or did not comply to prescribed fire safety norms.
The fire and emergency department said that these 16 buildings had more than 1,200 shops and three hospitals apart from many other facilities functioning in its premises.All the unit owners in these complexes had been sent notices twice, but yet more than 50% of the commercial establishments were found to be lacking in fire safety norms.
The city’s fire department action came after two major fire incidents happened in Ahmedabad and in a Vadodara hospital on Tuesday. Chief fire officer of the city, Basant Parikh said, “In the past three months, we have been regularly checking the preparedness for fire incidents at privately-owned public spaces like malls, shopping complexes, tuition classes, hospitals and others. Despite several warnings, nearly half were found not taking the issue of fire safety seriously. After the fire incident at the tuition class in Vesu on November 26, 2018, we made it a point to issue notices to all vulnerable places. We issued notices to even 160-odd hospitals. However, even after more than six months have gone by, 40 of them are yet to comply to the norms.”
“We have decided to recommend the health department to cancel licenses of those establishmthat have not obtained or set up required fire safety facilities,” Parikh added.
Another official in the fire department pointed out that it was mainly in the public places like shopping centres where large number of people assemble regularly, fire safety norms and regulations are seen to be most flouted. “Nobody cares for a safe environment and people set up things wherever they want. So, when an accident occurs, it becomes difficult to manage,” the official lamented.
On Wednesday, owners of shopping complexes of Apple Square and Dhara Arcade from Mota Varachha and Yogi Chowk sat on a dharna demanding immediate opening of their shops. The fire department had issued notices to 100 complexes across city and had sealed those 16 which didn’t have proper fire safety equipment. A shop worker was trapped inside his shop in Mota Varaccha in Dhara Arcade after officials sealed his office before he could get out.