VIJAYAWADA: Each of the managements of cinema theatres in Krishna district will need to spend not more than Rs. 1 lakh to install fire-fighting equipment in accordance with the National Building Code (NBC), District Fire Officer D. Murali Mohan said on Wednesday.

Addressing an awareness meeting on the NBC organised by the Andhra Pradesh Film Chamber of Commerce (APFCC), Mr. Murali Mohan said as most of the theatres in the district had a seating capacity of not more than 300, the requirement of fire-fighting equipment would be very limited.

Requirement

The managements would just have to install 10 fire extinguishers, a 30-metre-long hose reel with a nozzle, a water tank with a capacity of 10,000 litres on the terrace and a pressure force jet, which would be sufficient to honour the new fire safety norms.

Besides installing this equipment, the owners would have to widen the entrance and exit doors from the present 1.6 metres to 2 metres, and keep the theatre's outside premises vacant enough for fire tenders to come in or for viewers to rush out in case of an emergency.

In the event of a fire accident, Mr. Murali Mohan said theatre owners should be able to control the flames in first five minutes so that it could be totally put off and the loss reduced.

Public address system

The managements could also install emergency lighting system in the theatre and corridors and arrange a public address system, which would not cost much. But arrangement should be made in such a way that these should be able to work even when there was no power supply to the theatre. "A fire engine will take at least 15 minutes to reach the theatre and commence fire-fighting. We do not have sophisticated equipment and sufficient staff in the department," the DFO made clear.

He advised theatre managements to train the staff working with them in operating fire extinguishers. They should ensure that terrace tank was always filled with water. APFCC president Grandhi Viswanath and secretary Mutyala Ramesh, Krishna District Film Distributors' Association president Muththavarapu Venkateswara Rao and secretary Raja Vasireddy Bhupala Prasad were present.

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