Over half of Bengaluru high-rises violate fire norms

Over half the high-rise buildings (both commercial and residential) in Bangalore do not comply with fire safety regulations. Most buildings have been built without the fire department's approval.

In the past two months, the city witnessed three major fires. The most recent was at a furniture factory in Peenya. The other two were the blazes at the Army's CSD canteen on M G Road and the one at Carlton Towers, which claimed nine lives. On Monday, Bangalore witnessed yet another fire, at Gold Towers on Residency Road, where a temporary shed built on the terrace was gutted.

B G Changappa, Director, Karnataka State Fire and Emergency Services Department, said, "It is not possible for the department to inspect every high-rise building in the city to find out how many of them comply with the regulations. Unless the building owners approach us for a no objection certificate before using the building, we will not be able to find out if they comply with the norms."

Every year, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the municipal body, gives approval for over 100 multi-storeyed buildings. According to Changappa, the soaring temperatures in the city have also led to a rise in the number of fire accidents. During the first three months of this year, the department saw an 18 per cent rise in the number of calls, compared to the corresponding period of last year.

"We got around 726 emergency calls between January and March last year. This year, the number has already reached 859," he told Business Standard. Last year, property worth Rs 17.5 crore was damaged in as many as 1,569 cases of fire accidents in Bangalore city, leaving nine dead and 64 injured.

"In summer, it is easier for objects to catch fire and if proper safety norms are not adopted, a disaster is inevitable," Changappa said. After Carlton Towers, the department suggested to the state government to introduce a law enabling it to re-inspect all high rise buildings every year or once in two years, to ensure compliance of all fire prevention and fire fighting measures, after collecting a self-appraisal report from the owner/occupiers of the building.

The officers' strength in the department will have to be augmented before the implementation. There are proposals for penal provisions and charges for fire-fighting equipment where violations of building bye-laws and fire safety provisions are noticed after an incident in commercial and high rise buildings.