As three fire accidents across India hit the headlines on Sunday, our sheer neglect towards maintaining safety measures and protecting lives became apparent yet again. The most lethal of the accidents—at an almost-century-old house near Charminar in Hyderabad’s Old City—left 17 members of a family, including eight children, dead. At Solapur in Maharashtra, eight of a family lost their lives at a residence constructed on top of a textile factory. In Kerala’s Kozhikode, a textile complex was gutted; fortunately, none was killed in this fire. The accidents had a few things in common—none of the structures appears to have had proper fire exits and short-circuits are suspected for all three. Distressingly, none of this is new in India. When such accidents create a furore, the authorities come up with knee-jerk reactions and, as days pass, painful memories are all that the bereaved families are left with.
Every summer, we face an increasing number of fire mishaps. In Hyderabad, following several accidents including one at the popular Swapnalok Complex in 2023, the civic body had issued notices to many establishments to install fire-fighting equipment, clear fire exits and remove hazardous materials. The government had proposed a fire safety audit of all buildings below 15 metres in height. But the moves did not make any headway. A cursory glance reveals the same factors are at play in all major cities across the country. Ultimately, at fault is the lethargy of the officialdom, and the apathy or ignorance of the people. This deadly combination needs to be acted against.
Most of the solutions to prevent fire accidents are found among the mandatory norms. Preliminary inquiries revealed that the Kozhikode and Hyderabad buildings had no fire certificates. The owners of old buildings often do not seek fresh permits to avoid hassles and costs. To make them aware of the implications, we need a blitzkrieg of awareness campaigns, mock drills at frequent intervals and mandatory safety audits. To make such steps work, the fear of facing corrupt officials to obtain permits must be erased. Technology can be used to make access easier and keep tabs on the officials. If we really care about our fellow citizens, we must take such steps with urgency. Otherwise, we will surely lose more lives to blazes, leaving voids none can fill.