Malls get two months to ensure implementation of fire safety norms

Bhubaneswar: The fire services directorate has issued notices to as many as eight shopping malls in the city to comply with fire safety norms within two months.

The move comes following surprise checks by the department on several malls in the city after a fire mishap at a shopping mall near Damana square on January 4.

Police sources said during the course of inspection of the malls, two were found operating with necessary fire safety clearance while eight others did not have any permit nor necessary equipments and readiness to fight and prevent fire mishaps.

The malls were found blatantly violating Fire Prevention and Fire Safety Rules, 2017 thus endangering lives and properties of inmates as well as public, said the Fire service department notice.

In order to prevent fire mishaps and streamline fire fighting measures in the malls, the fire services directorate has laid down 28-point norms including widening of entry and exit points to 5 meters, enhancement of common staircases from 1.3 to 1.5 metres, provision for automatic smoke detectors and fire towers, better public address system for entire building, hydrant system and so on.

In the notice, mall authorities have also been directed to install automatic sprinklers for each floor, make provisions for manually operated electrical fire alarm systems, fire pumps, and provision of terrace tank of 20,000 litres exclusively for fire fighting.

Malls have been directed to comply with the guidelines mentioned in the notice within a period of two months failing which action will be taken as per provisions of law, informed Civil Defence director BK Sharma.