C Shivakumar
Chennai:
The government is planning to set up street hydrant system in busy
commercial hub of T Nagar to help minimise the damage during the fire
accident, according to State Fire and Rescue Services Department.
Fire and Rescue Services department submitted before Madras High court
that the state government is studying the feasibility of establishing
hydrant systems in Ranganathan street and North and South Usman Road
since 2011.
This comes after the director of State Fire and Rescue Service
department after conducting a safety audit of 150 buildings in 2011
highlighted the need to set up a hydrant system with pillar hydrants
at every street corner with water sump of sufficient quality and fire
fighting pump of required quality.
“This could go a long way in giving some degree of fire protection,”
the report stated. However, the fire hydrant system alone is not
enough. Shoppers in many multi-storied buildings in T Nagar may have
slim chance of survival during a fire accident as most of them lack
fire escape staircase.
As per the two-day survey of T Nagar multi-storeyed buildings carried
out by the State Fire and Rescue Services Department, it was found
that the buildings failed to adhere to the norms stipulated by
National Building Code which stipulates that for every 500 square
metres two exits of sufficient width should be provided and at least
one of them should be a fire escape staircase which should be
connected to the ground.
The code states that lifts and escalators should not be considered as
exits. The irony is that some of the buildings hardly have any fire
escape staircase.
“In some buildings only one fire escape staircase is provided and in
most cases the fire escape staircases are obstructed with heavy goods
storage and blocked for movement and is made ineffective for
evacuation during emergency, the state fire and rescue services
department stated.
The report also states that while some of the buildings have Very
Early Warning Smoke Detection Apparatus (VESDA), the sounding alarm is
made inoperative and not connected with integrated Building Management
Systems that is combined with CCTV security systems for continuous
monitoring and for speedy evacuation at times of emergency.
The report also states that in most buildings, water storage and
provision of fire pump facilities and hydrant systems are not as per
the requirements of National Building Code. Most buildings also don't
have automatic sprinkler system.
The State Fire and Rescue Services Department also stated that fire
and life safety requirements of National Building Code insists upon
compliance with minimum standard for fire safety in public places and
it is a guideline to be followed in normal buildings without any
development regulation violation.
Surprisingly, these buildings have no access for emergency vehicles
during normal working hours. They lack setback area, open space around
buildings and lesser evacuation facilities.
Chennai:
The government is planning to set up street hydrant system in busy
commercial hub of T Nagar to help minimise the damage during the fire
accident, according to State Fire and Rescue Services Department.
Fire and Rescue Services department submitted before Madras High court
that the state government is studying the feasibility of establishing
hydrant systems in Ranganathan street and North and South Usman Road
since 2011.
This comes after the director of State Fire and Rescue Service
department after conducting a safety audit of 150 buildings in 2011
highlighted the need to set up a hydrant system with pillar hydrants
at every street corner with water sump of sufficient quality and fire
fighting pump of required quality.
“This could go a long way in giving some degree of fire protection,”
the report stated. However, the fire hydrant system alone is not
enough. Shoppers in many multi-storied buildings in T Nagar may have
slim chance of survival during a fire accident as most of them lack
fire escape staircase.
As per the two-day survey of T Nagar multi-storeyed buildings carried
out by the State Fire and Rescue Services Department, it was found
that the buildings failed to adhere to the norms stipulated by
National Building Code which stipulates that for every 500 square
metres two exits of sufficient width should be provided and at least
one of them should be a fire escape staircase which should be
connected to the ground.
The code states that lifts and escalators should not be considered as
exits. The irony is that some of the buildings hardly have any fire
escape staircase.
“In some buildings only one fire escape staircase is provided and in
most cases the fire escape staircases are obstructed with heavy goods
storage and blocked for movement and is made ineffective for
evacuation during emergency, the state fire and rescue services
department stated.
The report also states that while some of the buildings have Very
Early Warning Smoke Detection Apparatus (VESDA), the sounding alarm is
made inoperative and not connected with integrated Building Management
Systems that is combined with CCTV security systems for continuous
monitoring and for speedy evacuation at times of emergency.
The report also states that in most buildings, water storage and
provision of fire pump facilities and hydrant systems are not as per
the requirements of National Building Code. Most buildings also don't
have automatic sprinkler system.
The State Fire and Rescue Services Department also stated that fire
and life safety requirements of National Building Code insists upon
compliance with minimum standard for fire safety in public places and
it is a guideline to be followed in normal buildings without any
development regulation violation.
Surprisingly, these buildings have no access for emergency vehicles
during normal working hours. They lack setback area, open space around
buildings and lesser evacuation facilities.
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