Saturday, August 23, 2014

Frequent T-Nagar Fires Expose Tardy Preparedness

Chennai:

CHENNAI: Of the three incidents of fire that broke out in Chennai last night, it is the blaze at T Nagar that has once again sparked serious concern over basic fire safety preparedness at the retail commercial hub of the city.

Lying in the heart of the city’s central business district, T Nagar is a bustling area frequented by thousands every day, where even a minor accident could prove fatal. Though there was no casualty in the latest incident in the early hours of Friday, it has left the local residents anxious, prompting them to consider moving HC, seeking fire service audit of all the buildings in T Nagar.

R Mohan, treasurer of T Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association, told
Express that despite a Fire Safety Inspection Report highlighting
violations by most of the commercial establishments, neither the
Chennai Corporation nor Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority is
taking any action.

“Had the incident happened during the evening then the situation would
have been different with fire service unable to reach the spot,” he
said.

“We are going to move a petition but it is not against CMDA or Chennai
Corporation but for the need to carry out a fire service audit of all
the buildings,” Mohan said.

Interestingly, fire and rescue department had sent a detailed report
to both the Chennai Corporation and Chennai Metropolitan Development
Authority, indicating the deficiencies in fire safety in commercial
buildings on Usman Road and Ranganthan Street in T Nagar and
requesting them to take action against the violators.

The report identified more than 100 commercial establishments in Usman
Road and Ranganathan Street are unsafe and don’t follow fire safety
norms.

The fire incident at T Nagar also comes in the wake of a High Court
directing Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and Chennai
Corporation to inspect every building in Sowcarpet within three months
highlighting the compoundable and non-compoundable deviations.

The association stated that it had also petitioned the CM’s cell. “The
commercial buildings dump the fire safety norms to the back burner.
But the fact is that these buildings are literally playing with the
fire, the precious lives of the shoppers, their own employees, the
neighbourhood residents and the general public,” the association said.

Corporation and CMDA officials could not be reached for their reactions.

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