HYDERABAD: The enforcement vigilance and disaster management (EVDM) wing of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) recently made it compulsory for all commercial establishments to obtain fire mitigation certificates. However, due to a lack of awareness about this new requirement, owners have displayed a poor response to comply with the regulation.
The introduction of fire mitigation certificates follows a series of fire incidents, notably at the Swapnalok Complex and Deccan Knitwear, which resulted in the loss of nine lives this year. The absence of a comprehensive fire safety policy for buildings under 15 meters in height has also contributed to the need for such measures.
In response to a query raised by the Bagh Amberpet corporator, the EVDM department stated that the recurrent fire accidents could be attributed to the presence of “red category buildings” in densely populated residential areas, owners’ negligence in implementing fire mitigation measures, outdated electrical installations, violations of occupancy regulations, commercial use of cellars, and malfunctioning fire safety systems.
To facilitate the acquisition of fire safety mitigation certificates, the EVDM department has launched a dedicated website, firesafety.ghmc.gov.in, where citizens can apply for the certificates.
To be eligible for these certificates, establishments must have fire safety installations in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the National Building Code, 2016.
Additionally, buildings with a minimum height of nine meters or more and a floor area exceeding 500 square meters, as well as “incidental assembly” structures such as function halls with a floor area over 300 square meters, must provide an external staircase with a width of 1.5 meters.
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