BENGALURU: Following the fire tragedy at Mudpipe cafe in SG Palya, Beyond Carlton (BC), an NGO, said much before the recent fire tragedies in the city, they had recommended to Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to include fire safety measures as a part of his ambitious ‘Brand Bengaluru’ project.
Uday Vijayan, Managing Trustee of BC, which was formed after the fire accident at Carlton Towers claimed the lives of nine people, said, “A year and a half after the incident in 2011, legislation came into effect following a Public Interest Litigation by Beyond Carlton that all high rise buildings must be inspected regularly. High-rise buildings must have all the aspects of fire safety like a setback area for fire tenders to move in during emergencies, fire extinguishers and other requirements.”
“In this restaurant incident, only an investigation will reveal what must have caused the fire. To avoid huge tragedies, periodical inspection by agencies is a must. There should be an interaction with high-rise building owners about fire safety. We have given our recommendation to the government to include it in ‘Brand Bengaluru’ as it is vital for the public,” said Vijayan.
He also asked for an audit of all such high-rise buildings, hotels and restaurants, where inflammable items like gas and other chemicals are stored. Authorities must check what safety measures are being followed, he said and and hoped that BC’s suggestions will be taken into consideration.