The Hindu : Low priority for firefighting in high-rise buildings

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Nov 16, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Low priority for firefighting in high-rise buildings

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI NOV. 15. The Directorate of Fire and Rescue Services (FRS) will soon begin a count of all high-rise structures, as part of its efforts at tackling any emergency professionally.

The decision follows two recent accidents in multistorey buildings in Chennai. This exercise will be extended to other cities in a phased manner.

Details of promoters, the number of dwelling units, location, particulars of licence, no-objection certificate and FRS licence and whether any condition laid down by the directorate has been fulfilled will be collected.

Let alone fire safety, the Development Control Rules (DCR), governing the construction of multistorey buildings, seem to be observed more in the breach.

The inadequacies in fighting fire were evident during a blaze in a six-storey building in the narrow Anderson Street, George Town here.

The personnel had to struggle for nearly three hours to get the `skylift equipment' to reach the spot. In another high-rise building, at Teynampet where a fire occured last month, the hydrant, which is mandatory in such structures, did not function.

Hence water had to be supplied from outside. Non-fulfilment of fire safety provisions contained in the National Building Code of India (NBC) comes to the fore during major operations, says a senior FRS official. However, the directorate has to share the blame for the present situation, as it has not conducted regular checks and fire drills to enable the occupants to be in a state of preparedness.

"Most of the multistorey buildings in the city have come up in blatant violation of the DCR, let alone their conforming to NBC requirements", points out C.H. Gopinatha Rao, former chairman of the Institution of Valuers.

Further, the rules are not being updated to meet the present-day needs. Except Mumbai and Delhi, no city has framed comprehensive rules for fighting fire in high-rise buildings.

Approval for residential use of many buildings is secured unauthorisedly. Even government buildings are no exception, explains Mr. Rao.

A look at the NBC will show the extent to which promoters and authorities, particularly the FRS, have made a mockery of the code.

For instance, in buildings more than 15 metres high, "kitchens working on gas fuel, departmental stores and shops shall not be permitted in the basement". Fire dampers shall be located in conditioned airducts.

They should operate automatically and simultaneously switch off air-handling fans. Manual operation facilities shall also be provided.

Also first-aid firefighting equipment shall be provided on all floors and firefighting appliances distributed over the building in accordance with good practice.

All buildings should be equipped with a manually-operated electrical fire alarm system and an automatic fire alarm system and should have a control room, at the entrance, with a communication system.

Fire drills should be conducted for new buildings once in three months during the first two years after the issue of the occupancy certificate and later at least once every six months.

Officials say some rules need modification to suit the present-day situation.

For instance, the code specifies that for buildings above 15 metres and not exceeding 24 metres, one lakh litres of water should be stored in an underground tank and 20,000 litres on the terrace.

"Is this practical in a city which faces water scarcity", asks an FRS official.

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