Jija Hari Singh

MANGALORE: Civic bodies have to incorporate safety norms mentioned in the National Building Code in their respective bylaws and take steps to facilitate their implementation, Jija Madhavan Hari Singh, Director-General of Police and Commandant General, Home Guards and Director, Civil Defence, Fire and Emergency Services, has said.

It was their prerogative to provide licences and occupancy certificates to buildings, she told The Hindu on the sidelines of an official function here on Monday.

Ms. Singh said while the fire and emergency services would always be on hand to meet any exigencies, their task would be made easier if the builders adhered to the code. This would make it all the more imperative for the civic bodies to be more prudent with their licensing norms and not wake up in the aftermath of a major tragedy, she said.

Admitting that most cities in the State, including Bangalore and Mangalore, were all headed for vertical growth, Ms. Singh said that the fire and emergency services were gearing up to meet the challenges posed by such a development.

"We have obtained the state-of-the-art fire-fighting equipment in Bangalore, including the turn-table ladders. Effort will be made to provide these equipment to other major cities," Ms. Singh added.

The Union Government had allocated Rs. 135 crore for the modernisation of fire and emergency services in the State. Orders had been placed to procure 20 fire engines for various fire stations. The department had received 10 fire engines and the rest would be delivered shortly, she said. Most of the new fire engines would be used to replace the vehicles that had outlived their utility, she added.

Fire station

Asked about the Government's proposal to set up a fire station in each taluk of the State, Ms. Singh said the process might be completed in the next five years. We need around Rs. 3.5 crore to ensure that each fire station was fully functional, she said and added that the Government was contemplating to provide rescue vehicles in all district headquarters. It was also planning to provide quarters to the personnel of fire and emergency services, Ms. Singh said.

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