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Bengaluru: In light of the recent fire tragedy in Rajkot, the Karnataka State Fire and Emergency Services (KSFES) is getting serious about safety in the state.
The department will launch a statewide survey of commercial establishments, schools, colleges, and hospitals to identify and address any potential risks. After the survey, the department will launch an official fire safety inspection of the places under the supervision of District Fire Officers (DFOs); 20 out of the state’s 60 DFOs are stationed in Bengaluru alone.
“We do not have data about all the commercial establishments (including low-rise) in the state as of now. But this inspection will give us a fair idea about vulnerable areas and gaps that need to be plugged immediately,” said Yunus Ali Kauser, deputy director of the department.
With power only to conduct surveys and check for violations, the fire department will write to the authorities concerned, if they find a major safety breach and report those not having a No-Objection Certificate (NOC).
Stores in low-rise buildings are waived from obtaining an NOC, except for shops that have critical occupancy, which refers to places with large storage and use of lubricants, chemicals, and inflammables.
The department plans to advise on implementing fire safety measures for commercial establishments in low-rise buildings, if they are seen as vulnerable to fire accidents. The department doesn’t possess the power to initiate action against violators.
The National Building Code (NBC) puts buildings taller than 21 metres under the high-rise category following a 2021 amendment, before which buildings beyond a mere 16 metres were defined as high-rise.
A senior KSFES officer said schools, colleges and hospitals obtain an NOC, which they require to get licences. But commercial units like hotels, recreational centres, and gaming zones operate illegally and are therefore, susceptible to fire accidents.
After a series of fire incidents in the city, including cylinder blasts in Koramangala’s Mudpipe Cafe, the BBMP is now beginning to inspect entertainment centres and gaming zones.
Electrical short circuit
Kauser said the state sees electrical short circuit as the reason for 80% fire accidents, a trend for several years.
Operating in buildings of small heights and with inflammable substances make smaller establishments accident-prone. Bringing high-rise buildings into the 21-metre mandate has left many commercial establishments in low-rise buildings vulnerable to fire accidents. They fall prey to the most common form of fire accidents — electrical short circuits.