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Fire Services To Blacklist Erring Builders, Architects and Engineers
Posted by Pradeep Sadanapalli | May 29, 2007 | 255 views
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Loading ...Irked by the poor response to implement fire safety measures in high-rise buildings, the Fire Services Department is contemplating to `blacklist’ builders, structural engineers and architects not obeying its orders.
The department has already declared 2,400 buildings as `unsafe’ and issued a public notification last year in September requesting owners or occupiers of multi-storied residential apartments and other commercial complexes to install fire-fighting systems.
But, most of them ignored the directive and did not even bother to approach the department for any assistance prompting the latter to shed its hitherto `soft’ approach and prosecute erring owners and occupiers.
However, legal action against them was delayed awaiting Government’s nod. Now, with the Government accepted the high-power committee’s recommendations to blacklist those disregarding fire safety measures, the department feels it has the weapon to initiate action against the builders and others.
“We will first blacklist builders, architects and structural engineers before taking any further legal action,” says an official.
The panel headed by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department Secretary to look into fire safety and protection issues has also mooted making suitable amendments to building rules to cover fire safety violations and to hold the technical personnel responsible for illegal constructions.
Fire officials are clear that the present occupants of the buildings under the fire safety scanner would have to take up the necessary steps. “As per records, we will only issue notices to the persons who have taken up construction but the occupants will have to ensure their building is safe,” explains the official.
At the same time, efforts were also on to identify and locate 300-odd builders who have constructed multi-storied buildings in mid-80s and 90s without the requisite fire safety norms and since then have remained untraceable.
Fire Services Director-General A. K. Khan says the crackdown exercise would begin with commercial establishments followed by residential complexes.
SOURCES:
The Hindu
Topics: Govt In Action |
One Response to “Fire Services To Blacklist Erring Builders, Architects and Engineers”
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May 30th, 2007 at 7:03 am
can you give link to the list of buildings etc which are issued notices?