Fire-safety norms not followed by schools
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, April 28 2011:
Both government and private schools in the state have not taken up fire safety measures like installation of fire extinguishers even as there is a standing instruction of the government in this regard.
When Hueiyen Lanpao toured some schools in Imphal area, no fire-fighting equipment was found installed in any of the schools.
The schools also do not have adequate space for students to be evacuated in a fire break out.
This has raised fears of stampedes in a breakout of fire.
Some of the buildings do not even have proper windows and ventilators.
As per government instructions, school rooms should have at least two emergency doors apart from installation of fire-fighting equipment.
Schools should also have a pond inside the campus to douse a fire when it occurs.
Further, a school needs to obtain fire safety certificates from the fire service authority while seeking recognition from the board.
However, many recognized schools lack fire-safety measures.
No fire-safety measures were found even in prominent schools like the Little Flower School, St Joseph School and the Nirmalabas School when this reporter visited the schools.
However, school authorities said that they have started imparting awareness on fire-safety and disaster management to the students.
They are planning to install fire-fighting equipment in their schools, they said.
An official of the state fire service said that it is mandatory for the school authority to take into account fire-safety measures guidelines at the time of construction of school buildings.
Running a school without fire-safety measures is not permitted.
There is also a standing order from the Directorate of Civil Defence of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs that all schools should install fire fighting equipment.
Students should also be drilled on fire fighting and evacuation regularly.
The said instructions should have been translated into work by the state authority by January, 2011.Efforts are on to translate it into work at the earliest, the official informed.
In the general point of view it seemed that people lack knowledge in taking up fire-safety measures and that as most of them do not have fire-fighting kits in their houses or institutions.
In construction of houses and buildings in Imphal instructions to keep adequate space between adjacent buildings to permit fire tenders easy entrance is not taken into account.
Most of the by-lanes between the buildings in Imphal area have no enough space to enter by the fire fighters with fire-fighting equipments.
As per a source from the Directorate of the Fire Services, during the years from April 2010 to March 2011, 187 cases of fires were reported causing a damage amounting to ' 9,79,58,627 worth in properties.
Personnel of the Fire Services could save properties worth around ' 20,08,21,410 during the period.
During the same period the lives of two persons were claimed by fires while lives of 11 persons were saved.
According to the officials of the Fire Services, they are finding it difficult to respond to fire incidents due to a sharp decline in its manpower strength.
Out of the total sanctioned post of 281, only 206 men are in the service as some of them had retired on superannuation.
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