As the Karnataka state goes to elections in the next few months, we must ensure our wants and needs for Bengaluru city and should communicate to the political parties seeking our votes.

We often miss out on talking beyond essential public goods in our needs; fire safety is never seen as a major concern. The need to bring this to the notice of contesting candidates and elected representatives and urge them to impose more stringent norms on an issue that costs many innocent lives. We must not be complacent about fire safety.

In this effort, Beyond Carlton, India’s only citizens initiative on fire safety, has written the following open letter addressed to all the political parties contesting the upcoming State Elections.

B.PAC pledges its support to Beyond Carlton’s efforts towards ensuring citizens have Fire Safety as a fundamental right and better implementation of safety norms.

Open Letter by Beyond Carlton

Dear Parties contesting in the Karnataka State Elections,

Have you considered including Fire Safety in your election manifesto for the forthcoming elections? If not, we urge you to do so. And here is why…

There has been a spate of fire accidents in our country this past couple of months – be it at a liquor shop in Bengaluru or a hotel in Mumbai, or some other building in another city, town, or village.

 

In fact, as per NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau)  2015 data pertaining to Karnataka:

  • 1244 died in fires in 1 year
  • Of these, 781 were women and 463 men
  • Cooking gas burst fires were the major reason for deaths (338)
  • Electrical Short circuits caused 118 deaths
  • Over 50% of fatalities in commercial establishments in India were from Karnataka

While the cause of these accidents may have been different, what is common is the glaring near-callous disregard to fire safety in our state, inadequate policies and checks and balances that, if in place, could well prevent such accidents from taking place in the first place.

Most fire accidents are avoidable if certain norms are diligently followed by all stakeholders – builders, residents, office goers, sanctioning authorities, and so forth. In today’s scenario, this would be possible only if people at decision-making levels take up the cause of Fire Safety and pass the necessary legislation which would make Fire Safety measures mandatory.

 

In this regard, we at Beyond Carlton (www.beyondcarlton.org), India’s only citizen’s initiative on fire safety, request that every party contesting in the forthcoming Karnataka State elections include the following points as a part of their election manifestos:


1. Link fire safety standards set in the National Building Code


(http://ndrfandcd.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/file/F03.pdf) for granting/sanctioning plans approvals by municipal authorities


2. Granting Statutory Approvals

Review and align existing legislation for granting statutory approvals for residences, businesses, and industries (like the state excise legislation) keeping fire safety as the prime consideration.

3. Strict Actions Against Licensed Establishments

Take cognizance and take strict action against licensed high-density establishments (like hospitals, malls, educational institutions, etc.) which compromise on fire safety.

4. Fire Safety Standards For All

Introduce fire safety standards for ALL buildings of all heights and not only for those which are over 15 meters high.

 

5. Supplies, Safety Guards and Trainings must be Provided to all

Increase the number of fire safety personnel, sanction better quality fire-fighting equipment substantially, and conduct periodic training programs for the fire-fighters and first responders. The focus of the Fire Department must shift from fire-fighting to fire prevention.

6.Empowering the Fire Department

Empower the fire department to be the final authority on licensing/canceling licenses of buildings that violate prescribed fire safety norms

a) Ensure that the Real Estate Regulatory Authority does not accord approvals for new building projects unless the builders include fire safety-related requirements in agreements for sale, sale deeds, and construction agreements as a condition for sale to purchasers.

b) Declare ‘Right to Safety‘ as an integral part of Article 21 of the Constitution and suitably incorporate safety education in the State’s school and college curriculum.

We urge each and every Political Party and all candidates across party lines, to commit to the urgent need for implementation of the points mentioned above.

Fire knows no religion, no sex, no VIP / common man.

A fire never cares who it burns. You or a dear one could well be its next victim. Let us all work towards preventing that.

We would await and welcome parties who would like to have a discussion with us on any aspect of fire safety.

Let’s make Karnataka fire-safe!

Uday Vijayan

Managing Trustee and President

Email Id – uday@beyondcarlton.org

Beyond Carlton www.beyondcarlton.org