BHUBANESWAR: After the raids on Bhubaneswar malls, Odisha Fire Services department on Saturday conducted surprise inspection at 12 hotels and shopping malls, in Cuttack. The raids revealed serious violations by the owners of the establishments.“During the raid we found that none of them have fire safety licences neither have they applied for it,” said Fire Services DG BK Sharma.“Most of the buildings have deviated from their approved plans. The fire safety measures undertaken by these establishments are substandard. Some of the buildings have fire extinguishers, but those are outdated and staff do not know how to use those,” Sharma said.
“Combustible materials like cartoons are dumped carelessly while basements are full of waste materials which are highly inflammable. We are issuing notices to all these establishments,” the Fire Services DG added. The fire personnel pointed that open spaces, corridors and escape routes in the buildings were found to be blocked, risking the lives of hundreds of people.“Absence of exit signage in case of an emergency, lack of good housekeeping, among others, were some of the serious flaws found during the inspection,” a fire personnel said.
“Cuttack Development Authority (CDA) had approved three floors for a hotel, but its owner constructed a basement which was full of highly inflammable articles, like gas cylinders. Similarly, exit of one of the hotels was used for storing the gas cylinders,” he added.The fire personnel also informed that though CDA had approved a recreation club in a building, the owner turned it into a hotel. In case of basement of a commercial-cum-residential building inflammable items like cartoons and other garbage were being dumped.