The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Expos overlook fire control norms

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Saturday, May 10, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Expos overlook fire control norms

M. Srinivas

Organisers keep a few fire extinguishers and some sand buckets

First-aid kits should be made available at premises
No smoking sign boards should be displayed

--Photo:G.Krishnaswamy

Lurking danger: Visitors at the exhibition in People’s Plaza on Friday in Hyderabad.

HYDERABAD: How safe are the ongoing exhibitions in the city in the event of a fire? A look at the Hyderabad Utsav Mela at People’s Plaza on Necklace Road and Hyderabad Consumer Expo at Exhibition Grounds in Nampally indicates the degree of callousness on the part of the organisers to fire safety norms.

Organisers obtained provisional no-objection certificates from the Fire and Emergency Services Department, submitted them to police and got permission for holding fairs.

One may well remember the fire that snuffed out 50 lives at a consumer exhibition at Victoria Park in Meerut of Uttar Pradesh two years ago.

Rules stipulate that every cluster of 10 shops must have a three-metre gap; electrical wiring must be PVC-sheathed or vulcanised rubber cables used; all joints must be porcelain insulated; enough first-aid kits made available, besides making a proper display of no-smoking signboards.

A 50,000-litre capacity water tank with a portable pump and employees trained in emergency management and fire-fighting equipment are other mandatory requirements.

Clearly indicated exit routes in the event of a fire, buckets with sand and a sizeable number of fire extinguishers are also essential.

But the field situation at the Hyderabad Utsav Mela is totally different. Except for a few fire extinguishers and sand buckets, organisers have ignored the stipulated safety measures. An alarming factor is that a kitchen preparing snacks is right inside the premises and opposite to the exit route.

The organisers erected sheds required for stalls with asbestos sheets, while the main entrance decorated with colourful electrical bulbs was made with wood.

Nonchalant

To a question as to what would happen in the event of a fire, Event Manager Javed simply said that required safety measures would be implemented by Sunday.

When contacted, District Regional Fire Officer G.V. Narayana Rao said a re-inspection would be conducted to ensure organisers follow rules in the larger interest of the people.

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