High Rises Can Be Death Traps Sans Strict Exit Route Safety Compliance
Maharashtra, like the rest of the country, is currently witnessing a phase of rapid infrastructure growth. As per last year’s statistics, Maharashtra has 6,712 high-rise buildings and 378 Skyscrapers, amongst which the capital city Mumbai alone has 3,629 high-rise constructions and 362 skyscrapers. That means Mumbai city dominates the Indian skyline with 77% tall buildings, as stated by the CBRE South Asia Report.
Massive Fire Breaks Out In A Building Near Thane’s Dombivali
A massive fire broke engulfed all the floors of a building at Khoni Palava near Dombivli, Thane in Maharashtra on Saturday. After the incident, residents immediately contacted the fire brigade. The fire was doused an hour after the two fire engines were deployed. No person was injured during the incident because the people staying in the high rise managed to come down safely amid the fire as it was confined to one side of the structure. The fire in the building was triggered by a short circuit on the 8th floor and extended to numerous apartments in the building, according to the report.
Pitampura (Delhi) House Fire Claims 6 Lives As Safe Exigency Blunder Seals Their Fate
It was first reported that five people had died in the ghastly fire that broke out at a multi-storey residential building in northwest Delhi’s Pitampura area on 18th January in the evening. A total of 8 fire tenders were rushed to the spot that day and the fire was brought under control according to fire officials. “At least four people were charred to death when a fire broke out in a house in northwest Delhi’s Pitampura area on Thursday evening,” fire officials said at that time.
Two days later, the death toll rose to six. Now, the clincher, family members of the victims of the Pitampura fire incident have alleged that the automatic door locks installed at the residence got locked during the blaze, preventing the victims from escaping from the site. A relative outside, who saw smoke could not enter and save the people in the critical moments because of the locks. Ironical, that a safety measure installed without proper knowledge and farsighted wisdom and obviously prompted by half baked knowledge of safe exigency protocols actually sealed the fate of the inhabitants.
A major question arises, how to deal with accidental fires, especially in higher floors? Current issues in evacuation from high-rise buildings, i.e., to either evacuate using staircase or elevator, the condition of escape routes provided in high-rise residential buildings, and common man’s attitude toward fire safety, are still being debated. Escape routes in high-rise residential buildings is an important element for emergency escape.
The growth is imminent as high-rise construction will always have the logic of being practical given high-density urban development. With urbanization, the state is also responsible for the safety of its citizens. Fire safety and Evacuation have become a critical aspect of building design and management, with a particular focus on ensuring the efficient evacuation of occupants during fire emergencies. The recent fire incidents like the One Avighna Park and Goregaon Jay Bhavani complex fire have made the government consider stricter rules and measurements for the safety of Occupants and Firemen.
It can no longer be the easy option to ignore basics like sprinklers, alarms, emergency lights, proper signages and directions to help any common man to follow easy steps of quick escape in the desperate moments. The burden of responsibility is mostly on builders, developers, architects and home owners to ensure that the safety tools are in place and the safety rules are observed 24×7.
Prolite has always cautioned you against taking the serious issue of safety in your surroundings lightly. And as we enter the New Year we reiterate that Prolite is your PAL for sure. A builder or home owner who hides the fact that the building you choose to occupy is not safe as per NBC guidelines cannot be your friend. An architect who plans a project but conveniently ignores or window dresses safety protocols cannot be your friend either. In fact, they may be the ones who are actually putting you in danger of losses of property, belongings and probably, your own life. The safety inspector who issues licences and clearances to buildings, shops or establishments in exchange for bribes comes in the same category.
For 40 years since Prolite was born, we made friends and influenced people positively. We adopted a work culture that was aimed at educating and saving people from unnecessary risks by creating high quality products approved by relevant authorities. Further, we earned the ‘Most Innovative’ tag for changing with the times and creating products up to date with the newer risk perceptions and changing situations. Furthermore, we also took care to make environment friendly products to reduce the carbon footprint and check climate change.
[Courtesy: Prolite]
