With three major fire mishaps in a span of just four days, claiming the lives of four people in the state capital, the threat of fires and their prevention is top on the minds of people across Karnataka. As development works continue and more structures come up across the state, the challenges faced by the Fire and Emergency Services as well as people using the buildings (residing or working in them) to remain safe from – and prevent – fires, are significantly increasing.
As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2019 data, Karnataka is among those states with the highest number of fire accident deaths in the country after Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. It has also recorded the highest number of deaths due to fires in commercial buildings (See box).
Annexe ‘E’ of Part IV of National Building Code of India (NBCI) gives details of fire drills and evacuation procedures for high-rises (above 15 metres in height). “Fire drills shall be conducted in accordance with the fire safety plan, at least once every three months, for existing buildings during the first two years. Thereafter, fire drills shall be conducted at least once every six months,” it states. Besides, fire and life safety audits have been made mandatory once in two years by a third-party auditor for all high-rise buildings.
It also specifies that a written record of the drills “shall be kept on the premises for a period of three years and shall be readily available for fire brigade inspection.”
Post the horrific fire tragedy at Bengaluru’s Carlton Towers on February 23, 2010, in which nine people lost their lives and more than 70 were injured, the State government amended fire safety laws following a public interest litigation filed before the High Court in 2011 by ‘Beyond Carlton’ – a City-based community of the victims’ families – and Namma Bengaluru Foundation, against the Karnataka fire department.
“The High Court made it mandatory for all high-rise buildings, measuring 15 metres and above, to have a fire licence, which should be renewed every two years. There were many loopholes found in the building plans and construction. People avoid fire audits and ignore basic safety measures to cut costs,” said a fire services veteran, who wished to remain anonymous.
Fire drills, audits ignored
While housing association committees and managements of commercial/medical establishments may be blamed for oversight on this front, there are also no records maintained by the Fire Department on buildings which are overdue for such audits or drills. Building managements are then left to themselves to keep track of this in the absence of strict enforcement of procedures that need to be followed, in the form of reminders.
According to the NBCI, at least 40 per cent of the staff or residents of high-rise buildings should be trained in fire drills. But, with these drills and safety procedures falling between two stools, it is rampantly ignored, residents and fire officials admit.
For instance, when the horrendous September 21 fire tragedy in the Devarachikkanahalli in BTM Layout occurred, claiming the lives of an octogenarian and her 59-year-old daughter, several residents’ association members suddenly realised that their respective fire audits and drills have remained long overdue.
A day after the Devarachikkanahalli incident, a similar incident was reported in an apartment in Vijayanagar in Mysuru due to an electric short circuit, which was averted due to timely efforts of the fire personnel. However, the incident brought to light that most of the apartment complexes, restaurants and high-rise buildings in Mysuru have not held fire safety drills in the last 18 months due to Covid-19 and the lockdowns.
“Although we have been asking a private fire safety expert to inspect our apartment and hold a day-long awareness programme to sensitise flat owners on precautions to be taken, this has not been possible due to the pandemic. Most of the apartment complexes in Mysuru do not have a completion report (CR) issued by the city corporation and violations are found everywhere. It is high time the authorities identify high-risk buildings or apartments,” says Ranganath, member of an apartment welfare association in Mysuru.
Similar is the case with major hospitals and restaurants in the city. “Though our LPG service providers visit twice a year to ensure there are no leakages, a majority of the restaurants ignore these practices as they charge for inspection. Similarly, training camps must be conducted for hoteliers and the staff on responsibilities during fire mishaps and also on escaping in case of fire, which has not been held since the last two years,” says a hotelier.
Helipad Rule nixed
The March 2016 amendments to Part IV of National Building Code of India (NBCI) pertaining to ‘Fire & Life Safety’ has put the Fire Department in a quandary while putting the onus of preventing and dealing with fires in ultra-high-rise buildings above 60 metres in height completely on the occupants.
While earlier, all buildings above 60 metres in height were mandated to have helipads atop terraces, the amendment made helipads mandatory only for those above 200 metres in height. Interestingly, even in Bengaluru – which has the tallest buildings in Karnataka so far – the tallest structure is 168 metres, which is the 52-storey Presidential Towers in Yeshwanthpur, located close to Brigade Gateways. But the amendment exempts even this relatively mammoth structure from having helipads.
Sources in the construction industry informed TNSE that when the rule to install helipads atop them was brought in, buildings that were taller than 60 metres in height and in the process of being constructed were built with helipads. But those helipads are of no use now. The non-utility of these helipads is also because the state’s Fire Department has no helicopters, pointed out K T Balakrishna, Deputy Inspector General, Fire & Emergency Services.
To deal with fires in high-rise buildings going up to heights of 55 metres, the department is equipped with only two 54-metre ladders and two 35-metre ladders in Bengaluru, besides one 34-metre ladder each with the fire personnel in Hubballi and Mangaluru. The department has no ladders that can reach heights more than that to fight fires, leave alone evacuate the stranded.
“A tender for one 90-metre aerial ladder has already been issued and it is under fabrication,” Balakrishna said, adding that it will be used in Bengaluru. If required, helicopters can be roped in from Indian Air Force or the HAL on requests from the State Government to the Centre, he added.
(With inputs from Bala Chauhan & Manju Shettar in Bengaluru, Karthik K K in Mysuru, Prakash Samaga in Udupi, Prajna G R in Madikeri and Ramkrishna Badseshi in Kalaburagi)