Comply with fire safety norms

The congested City in Srinagar has once again witnessed a devastating fire incident, which left many people homeless and caused extensive damage to the properties of the people in Bohri Kadal area of Srinagar. The massive fire incident took four hours for the Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES) officials to douse the flames while the local police and the common masses played an active role in controlling the blaze. However, many people have been seen raising concerns and voices against the F&ES by claiming that they san the proper equipment to control the fire incident. Just a day after the incident took place, the Fire and Emergency Services department has issued a stringent warning to commercial buildings in Kashmir to comply with fire safety norms or cease operations. Pertinently, non-implementation of Fire Force Act (1967) to ensure that safety equipment is installed in buildings has also been blamed for the frequent fire accidents. Unplanned urbanization has exposed Srinagar to many civic problems, including the vulnerability to fire accidents. In some areas of the city, houses are stacked so close together that every time a fire breaks out, there is every chance of it spreading far and wide causing maximum damage. In many areas of the city, there is no adequate fire gap between the houses and as a result when fire breaks out in these localities fire brigade cannot douse the flames effectively. The authorities concerned should take a lesson from Monday’s incident and ensure that all the necessary measures are taken well on time so that such incidents are prevented in the future and the properties of the people saved.