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Prayagraj: The massive fire at the multi-storeyed Nehru Complex in Chowk area, in which nearly two dozen shops were gutted on Saturday, is an eye-opener for the police, fire brigade and district administration as the businessmen of the complex never applied for an electric safety audit Was. Directorate of Electrical Safety (ESD).
In addition, old and dilapidated electrical wiring, and outdated fire fighting equipment have left the fire department officials in a 22 situation. Ironically, most owners commercial Establishments in the city including those located in prime localities like Civil Lines, Chowk, belfry, area There is no information about the electric safety audit.
Hemant Sharma, assistant director of the Directorate of Electrical Safety (Prayagraj zone), told TOI, “Most commercial establishments in the city have not obtained NOC (no-objection certificate) from the Directorate of Electrical Safety so far. “The department is all set to launch a drive to check the status of buildings including commercial establishments whether they have obtained NOC or not and take action accordingly,” he added.
However, taking a cue from the Nehru Complex fire, the fire department officials have advised traders of various commercial establishments in the city to opt for an electric safety audit from the Directorate of Electrical Safety at the earliest. He also advised the traders to get new wiring done as the old wiring was not able to withstand the increased load and often caused short-circuits.
Chief fire officer (Prayagraj) RK Pandey told TOI, “Traders have also been directed to install advanced and latest fire safety systems in their establishments. A four-point safety guideline has also been issued and an appeal has been made to traders to Ensure that clearance is maintained on evacuation routes and that every shop owner installs a fire fighting system.Also, traders should switch off all electrical equipment before downing their shutters.
Saturday’s fire incident not only caused property damage worth crores, but also indicated that there should be no loose wiring or power connections as electrical short-circuit is considered to be the main reason behind most of the short circuit incidents. The fire official said, “The exact cause of the fire will be known through investigation, short-circuit seems to be the culprit.”
He said, “A recent survey conducted by the department revealed that more than 60% of the shops in the city neither have adequate fire fighting system nor are people aware of the steps to be taken in case of fire “
Meanwhile, fire department officials said, “We have been regularly advising people to install advanced fire fighting systems, especially a well-planned exit route.”
Commercial premises should have required number of fire extinguishers, first aid hose reel, terrace tank and terrace pump. When the size and shape of the commercial shop-plus one or two storey building is more, the arrangements should be scaled up accordingly.
Fire officials said that it is a shocking fact that traders having shop cum residential buildings are not aware of fire safety plans and most of such shops have only one ladder to reach the upper floors. “Every building should have at least two staircases to go up or down, so that an escape route can be created in case of fire,” the official said. He said that the availability of fire fighting equipment should be ensured at all times. A report by the department has cited electrical short-circuits as the main reason behind most of the fires in commercial establishments including shops.
Consequently, shopkeepers and owners are being asked to periodically check electrical wiring and ensure that electrical wires or fittings are not loose,” informed officials. Similarly, shop owners are less interested in testing the functioning of fire extinguishers over longer periods of time, despite advice and communication.
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