The report of the expert committee on fire safety and prevention has been untraceable in Mantralaya.
The report of the expert committee on fire safety and prevention has been untraceable in Mantralaya.
The report has been gathering dust since 2009, but when government officials wanted to fish it out in the wake of the recent Gokul Nivas building fire at Kalabadevi, they could not find it on the shelves. The government appointed expert committee under former principal secretary of public works department NV Merani had submitted the report in 2009 after undertaking an extensive study of malls, buildings, government offices and other establishments. The report asked the authorities to initiate various measures to prevent fire incidents in the city.
When dna contacted Merani, he said that he had received calls on Monday from government officials asking whether there was any additional copy of the report. "It is quite surprising. A government is a government. Many governments have changed but no one is seriously paying attention towards the recommendations of such an important report. A few of the suggestions in the report have been incorporated here and there, but most of the crucial and important recommendations still need to implemented," Merani said.
Merani had given three prominent suggestions — procurement of the right and adequate equipment and fixing them at the right places. "Besides, conducting regular fire audits of residential and commercial buildings and parting training to fire brigade officers and people who are part of the buildings safety are the other suggestions. I hope the government will work on these suggestions," Merani added.
The Merani report had also recommended security outposts, making approach roads with sufficient restraints to prevent direct movement of vehicles towards structures, a control room for security and electronic surveillance operations, light controls, fire-safety requirements and buildings with blast-resistant designs.
A senior urban development official told dna that he was not aware of the phone call made to Merani. "The Merani report must be somewhere. We have to check out. I am sure it will not go missing because we keep all the documents properly," he said.
However, another government official said that the report seems to have been misplaced. "We are not sure if it was burnt in the Mantralaya fire incident. But we will procure the report copy from some other sources soon," he said.
Anil Galgali, RTI and social activist, said that this is nothing else but the result of a casual approach by the government machinery. "It shows that the government is not at all serious to prevent Kalbadevi-like fire incidents. If appropriate measures are not taken or the Merani report is not implemented in letter and spirit, then more such fatal incidents will take place," said Galgali.
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