BHUBANESWAR: Around 3,404 institutions in the state were issued notices under the Odisha Fire and Emergency Services’ ‘Surakshit Odisha, Viksit Odisha’ campaign in the last one month for lacking adequate safety arrangements or having defects in their documents, said IG, Fire Services Umashankar Dash.
As part of the month-long drive, launched on September 15, inspections were carried out at 4,605 locations, including residential buildings, educational institutions, hospitals, commercial establishments and industrial areas across the state. Dash said special notices were also issued to around 200 institutions that violated building approval plans and legal action has been initiated against them.
As the state continues to witness rapid economic growth and urbanisation, special emphasis was laid on strict compliance with fire safety regulations to ensure public safety.
“Apart from enforcement, we are focusing on usage of advanced digital technologies to enhance safety and security of citizens. A 3D map database is being prepared consisting details of entry/exit points of buildings water sources and the location of firefighting equipment to speed up rescue operations during emergencies,” said the Fire Services IG.
Besides, a database of all institutions requiring licences has been prepared and a new mobile application will be launched through which the general public can check whether hotels, hospitals, malls or large buildings have a fire safety certificate, he added.
The fire department is also taking steps towards ease-of-doing business in the state. It has set up a 24X7 control room at command centre here.