KOLKATA: The state task force on fire safety has decided to expand its proposed audit for markets and rooftop restaurants to encompass all commercial buildings, shopping malls, hospitals, and schools. This decision was made during a task force meeting at the KMC headquarters on Monday.
The audit will be conducted once the standard operating procedure (SOP) is finalized. An attendee of the meeting emphasized the need for proper water sourcing for firefighting, moving electric meters away from the entrances of commercial buildings, closely monitoring violations of fire safety norms, and enforcing stricter fire license renewal processes to ensure compliance from businesses.
This was the second meeting of the task force, which aims to develop a comprehensive SOP on fire safety for markets and rooftop restaurants. Present were officials including Kolkata’s mayor and state municipal affairs minister Firhad Hakim, state fire minister Sujit Bose, and ministers Aroop Biswas, Javed Khan, and Pradip Mazumdar.
Following the meeting, Hakim noted that various state ministers and senior officials proposed essential actions to prepare an all-inclusive SOP for submission to Nabanna for approval. “The meeting assessed fire risks in diverse commercial buildings, and we are committed to including all relevant establishments in our final SOP,” Hakim stated.
An official added, “We have identified 92 existing water spouts across 144 wards to assist the fire brigade during emergencies and will soon share this information with the state fire services department.”
During the task force’s initial meeting, members agreed on conducting third-party fire audits of commercial and office spaces, focusing particularly on vulnerable structures within Kolkata. They also resolved to request the disaster management department train personnel in rescue operations for individuals trapped in fires.
An official from the KMC buildings department commented on the assessment of hotels and restaurants with inadequate firefighting capabilities, asserting, “We cannot afford to take a lenient approach, as this matter concerns fire safety.”
