HYDERABAD: Staircases, the most common exit paths in case of a fire emergency are closed in a majority of the city’s pubs, bars, and restaurants. The ongoing inspections by the department of enforcement, vigilance and disaster management (EVDM) has revealed that there are deficiencies when it comes to compliance with fire safety norms by such establishments.
With the ‘exit’ signages not placed and the staircases closed, the various pubs in Jubilee Hills, Banjara Hills and Madhapur area are running the risk of people being trapped in case of a fire accident.
It may be noted that a majority of pubs are located on the top floors of the buildings, making it difficult for people to escape in case of any adversities. In addition, a lot of these staircases are closed for public use as the usage of elevators are promoted.
The department has so far conducted inspections in 25 such establishments and all of them were deficient in one area or the other, it is learnt. Be it fire extinguishers, fire buckets, a network of hose pipes across the buildings, and most importantly, the closure of stairs were the gaps that were found by the department.
“There will be a 30 day time period given to those establishments to comply with the fire safety norms and be prepared in case of a fire accident. If they do not comply even after that, on surprise inspections, their trade licenses will be cancelled,” said Vishwajit Kampati, Director, EVDM. The signages required to guide people in case of a fire accident are inadequately placed in the pubs and the exit route is not clearly demarcated, he added. The inspections by the department have come in the light of order issued stating the bars, pubs, and restaurants to apply for a NOC. So far, about 550 establishments have applied for the NOC and the department is expecting another 200 applications.
However, the short-staffed department is set to carry out inspections in 500 more establishments with just four officers. After the fire prevention wing of the GHMC has been merged with the EVDM, the director has written to the government for sanctioning 50 additional personnel to conduct inspections. With elections underway, the possibility of that request being considered looks very bleak.