Lessons not learnt

Annual fire safety audit must be made mandatory

At least 17 people lost their lives to a blaze that swept through the Hotel Arpit Palace, located in one of the most densely populated areas of Delhi in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The fire reportedly started on the first floor and engulfed the floors above. The cause of death was suffocation as most of the victims could not figure out a way to exit the hotel. There appears to have been wooden panelling in the corridors, because of which occupants couldn’t use them to evacuate. Two of the victims jumped from the window of the six-storeyed building to escape the inferno. Though the Delhi Hotel Association spokesperson claimed that all rules and fire safety norms were followed, preliminary investigations revealed this was hardly true. Stairs and corridors were too narrow, the emergency exit was blocked, and there was an illegal bar on the roof. The hotel staff were also reportedly not trained enough to handle such exigencies. The hotel reportedly had a “temporary” floor.

What this whole episode reiterates once again is that Indian cities, its residents and lawmakers continue to ignore the lessons of the past. Unsurprisingly then, such fires causing loss of human life happen with alarming regularity. The lax implementation of laws is not restricted to hotels alone. For instance, according to the Delhi Fire Services, at least 250 hotels in the capital continue to operate with fire safety “shortcomings”. Reports also suggest that most nursing homes operate in complete violation of fire norms. This is shocking, as New Delhi doesn’t seem to have                 changed its approach to fire safety even 22 years after the horrifying fire in the Uphaar cinema hall in 1997, killing 59 people and seriously injuring over 100.

This sorry state of affairs is not restricted to the capital alone. News of deaths because of violations of fire safety protocol is endemic. A little more than a year ago, 14 people died and more than 50 were injured when fire engulfed two restaurants in Mumbai. The fire escape of the restaurant complex was rendered dysfunctional by construction in defiance of safety regulations. Kolkata has seen at least two major fire-related incidents after the death of 73 people at the Amri Hospital in 2011. The list keeps growing every year, exposing the laxity with which building bylaws are enforced in India’s cities. The concern is while there is no dearth of norms for fire safety, what is lacking is efficient execution. For example, buildings that exceed 45 metres in height, or roughly 12 floors, are considered “high-risk” in Mumbai, and those who do not follow fire safety norms can be imprisoned for six months to three years and fined, but rules are violated with impunity, and punishments are rare. What is also required is a mandatory fire safety audit by independent agencies. Governments, both at the Centre and states, must have clear provisions in their safety legislation about the methodology and periodicity of such audits.