As the city grows vertically, the Karnataka State Fire and Emergency Services Department wants all high-rises developed before the National Building Code of 2016 came into effect to upgrade their fire safety mechanisms. Over 10,000 high-rises in Bengaluru, which fall in this category, are susceptible to fire, as they have not followed the updated National Building Code of either 2016 or the earlier ones, said officials.
The department has written to the State government seeking permission to order these buildings to institute safety measures within their premises. Once they comply, the department wants to issue a ‘Fire Compliance Certificate’.
“The proposed Fire Safety Certificate is not a No Objection Certificate (NOC) or a Compliance Certificate (CC). It is an initiative to make sure that the buildings that have not followed external fire safety guidelines to have a more robust internal fire safety mechanism,” said Sunil Agarwal, Additional Director General of Police, Fire and Emergency Services Department. Only the buildings built before 2016 will be covered under this 'compensatory fire safety system'. "Many high-rises, due to various reasons, do not have a proper NOC or CC. Hence, Fire Compliance Certificates will be issued until further action is taken against the owners,” Mr. Agarwal said.
The National Building Code includes a separate and comprehensive chapter on fire safety, where it specifies, for instance, how many exits should be provided in a specific kind of building and where they must be placed.
Officials admit that while it is not feasible for buildings to make major alterations to the external structure, residents will be able to install internal safety features. "For example, in place of two fire extinguishers, we will direct them to have four. It will be like an internal retrofit, which is possible and practical," Mr. Agarwal added. Other proposed measures include installing more smokescreens in staircase areas and water curtains in basements.
Many apartments have deliberately violated norms. “The minimum setback size prescribed is six metres. However, many establishments which have used that space for other purposes, and some have even been encroached upon,” said a senior official.
Muralidhar Rao of the Bangalore Apartments' Federation (BAF) said there was an immediate need for agencies to take responsibility for their actions and awarding NOCs to builders even if they had not adhered to all the norms. “There are blatant violations taking place even now. All those have to be immediately stopped," he said.
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