The Surat fire incident that claimed the lives of 23 persons, mostly children, finally seems to have rung an alarm bell for the Gujarat government.
Even as Principal Secretary (Urban Development) Mukesh Puri submitted a 12-page inquiry report to Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Monday, Rupani said that the state government will show zero tolerance towards those violating fire safety norms.
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Puri also said that in the last three days, 11,500 complexes, including those running tuition classes, hospitals and other public places have been issued notices to comply with fire safety norms.
He said that as many as 9,000 places are facing closure if they do not comply with the fire safety norms in the coming days.
Rupani said that the state government will soon come out with a concrete policy in consultation with various departments.
He said that a campaign has been taken up for the strict implementation of fire safety norms and demolishing unauthorised constructions. Rupani said that the state government is committed towards regular inspection and enforcement.
Glaring lapses have come to light in the report submitted to Rupani. The staircase, which can help the children to come down from the mezzanine floor where the tuition class ran, was closed.
The fire was a result of short circuit in one of the outdoor units of the air conditioner. The flex banners on the complex helped the fire spread faster.
It has been also noted that instead of chairs, the students were made to sit on tyres. These also aided the fire.
It has been reported that the owner of the Takshshila Arcade, where the incident took place, had paid impact fee for regularising the structure. However, the dome under which the classes ran was unauthorised.
Rupani said that action would be taken against those flouting fire safety norms, regardless of whether the owners have paid the impact fee or not.
