Abhishek Kumar Singh
In view of the large fire accidents, it seems that neither the urban management is paying attention to the necessary precautions in the construction of high-rise buildings, nor is it any concern to the institutions and departments on which the rules of fire prevention in the cities and They are responsible for ensuring their implementation.
The rapid increase in the incidents of fire in cities and metros in the last few years is a matter of concern. Rapid urbanization has made this fire worse. Not only the fire incident in Mundka area of Delhi, there is a long list of such fires in all the cities of the country, due to negligence in the matter of fire prevention measures, ignoring the rules and regulations and materials used in the construction of buildings. makes it stand Compensation and hollow assurances given by the government and administration after every accident add to the problem as neither the buildings are strictly scrutinized, nor the culprits of the fire are punished strictly. Meets.
It is ironic that the four-storey building in Delhi where the company manufacturing security cameras was operating, had no proper fire prevention arrangements. Otherwise, there would not have been so many deaths in this accident. It is noteworthy that according to the information given by the fire department officials about this fire, the major reason for the rapid spread of the fire was the presence of plastic and paper items in the building. Apart from this, the type of material used in modern building construction also increases the risk of fire.
In fact, the most worrying aspect of building construction in modern times, which has come to the fore over the years, is that urban buildings look clunky from the outside, but so many things that turn into horrific fires by inflicting minor sparks inside them. It is present that once an electric wire is lit somewhere, then it does not take long for a terrible accident to happen. Well, it is absolutely true that in most cases the fire starts for a very small reason. Like a minor short circuit or a faulty electrical appliance catching fire.
This was understood several hundred years ago, but alas, effective prevention of such minor causes could not be done till date. About four hundred years ago, the Great Fire of London in 1666 is said to have ruined the city by a very ‘minor’ spark. According to the reason given behind this, the fire started in a small bakery shop located in Pudding Lane, London. Similarly, a fire during a concert at Oakland Warehouse in California, USA, is said to have been caused by a refrigerator.
It is not a mere coincidence that a refrigerator explosion in a flat was thought to be the main reason behind the fire at London’s twenty-four storey Grenfell Tower five years ago. A few years ago, a fire at a restaurant named Mojo and One-Way in Mumbai was said to be the result of a short circuit. In the year 2019, a fire in the coaching center building in Surat was also caused by sparks in the electrical wires, which were ignited in a few seconds by the thermocol and POP decorations in the roof, tires kept on the roof etc.
A major cause of fires in most urban buildings is poor urban planning and management. This management is interested in keeping buildings weather-cooled, modern electronic equipment to meet the needs of the people working there, but things that can be managed to cause or prevent a catastrophic fire. Yes, he turns away from her.
Even modern cities, which have turned into concrete jungles, invite fire because there are many things and inadvertences that can turn a minor spark into a flame. In recent years, the horrific fires in modern buildings and factories in industrial areas from Delhi, Noida to Mumbai have proved that today every modern city is creating such reasons due to which even strong buildings cannot withstand fire. have been
The problem is that the storm of urbanization and unplanned development have marginalized the measures that protect us from such disasters. The perceived development that is taking place defying all the rules and regulations of urbanization has deepened the security crisis. In view of the large fire accidents, it seems that neither the urban management is paying attention to the necessary precautions in the construction of high-rise buildings, nor is it any concern to the institutions and departments on which the rules of fire prevention in the cities and They are responsible for ensuring their implementation.
The real problem is that in the campaign of modern urbanization that is going on all over the world, much work has not been done on the precautions and fire prevention measures. Today, such materials are often used in building construction, in which all the things that provoke fire are used.
In the name of interior decoration, dry wood to be applied on floors and walls, paints containing highly sensitive chemicals to fire, refrigerators, inverters, microwaves, gas stoves, chimneys, air conditioners, TVs and most importantly the entire walls of the building. There is a network of electrical wires inside, which in the event of a short circuit can turn a small fire into a major accident.
Another major problem is the tendency to build tall buildings on the banks of narrow roads. In most such buildings, it is rarely seriously investigated whether there is a rescue facility around if a fire does occur. Whether there is an evacuation route in case of an emergency, whether the system of timely alerting the people present there is working or not.
There are some other important reasons which are fueling the fire in the cities. For example, almost every major city allows the construction of tall buildings without knowing whether the fire department of those cities has stairs (skylifts) to reach the roof of those buildings if needed. For example, in the country’s capital Delhi, the fire department has a maximum of forty meters high stairs, but the height of the buildings here has reached 100 meters.
That is to say, any kind of commercial activity anywhere in any part of the country cannot be carried out without a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Fire Department. This NCO also does not get them directly. For example, in Delhi, when the fire department receives an application from the MCD, NDMC or other agencies concerned, they go to the buildings of those factories or institutions and after conducting the investigation, they issue NOC. But everyone knows that this provision is ignored. If told, it is also said that the employees of these departments also know what work is being done in which institution or factory, but in collusion all the rigging is turned a blind eye.