BANGALORE: Builders may soon have to provide for fire safety equipment and evacuation systems in high-rises measuring over 70 meters.
With the city growing vertically at an alarming rate, the short-staffed Fire and Emergency Services is looking to get builders to invest in fire safety. About two months ago, the department, which is still working on updating its equipment, passed a resolution to ask builders putting up structures over 70 metres (more than 23 floors) to install their own evacuation systems.
It has formed a committee to look into institutionalising this in the Karnataka Fire Force Act to make such facilities mandatory in high-rises.
Om Prakash, DGP, Fire and Emergency Services, told Express that the department is equipped with ladders which can reach buildings up to 52 metres. There is a proposal to buy evacuation equipment to reach up to 92 metres, but just one such equipment will cost around `25 crore. This means the authorities will have to buy them in phases, every few years. “Even if we purchase one this year, questions arise on where to keep it and the time wasted in transportation,” Om Prakash said.
In view of this, the department has decided to get builders and owners to contribute in setting up evacuation systems like chutes, water curtains and smoke curtains.
During the last two months, three builders seeking No-objection Certificates were asked to set up these evacuation systems. “Smoke curtains and water curtains have to be set up in basements to prevent smoke from travelling up the building. In most cases, it is the smoke that kills people, not the fire,” Om Prakash said.
Chute systems, made of mesh, are pipe-like structures that can fit a person inside. In case of a fire, a person can get into the chute legs first and slowly slide down a few floors. The chute will have entry and exit points on every floor.
The Fire Department initiated these steps after its personnel visited cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Chennai to study emergency mechanisms in place there.
“We will be asking any builder planning to build anything above 70 metres to set up these systems if they want an NOC and clearance certificate,” Om Prakash said.
