Locked terraces, open wires turn houses into tinderboxes
Times of India | 2 March 2024
Kolkata: The close shave in the Wednesday fire, which damaged an old and abandoned mansion on C R Avenue, has turned the spotlight on the fire safety lacunae in many central Kolkata buildings.
As the building, located at 117B, C R Avenue, has been vacant for several years, ready to be pulled down for redevelopment, no life was lost in the raging inferno caused by an oil tanker overturning on the road. But fire and police officers said had it been any of the adjacent buildings, where people lived, evacuation and rescue operations would have been difficult. None of the houses in the vicinity had basic fire safety measures, they pointed out.
As TOI visited several of the buildings in central Kolkata, it was found that the terraces of several houses were locked, while on some others, wires hung dangerously, making the roof-tops out of bounds in case of an emergency. “During the blaze at Stephen Court in 2010, the terrace was locked, too, preventing people from escaping there. It had led to the death of several people. Ever since, we urge owners and occupants of buildings to keep the terrace door open or that the keys should be available to all,” said a fire officer.
A residential-cum-commercial building was found to have a restaurant on the ground floor, with four ACs and large chimneys. One building did have a separate staircase, which could be used for evacuation, but waste was dumped on the steps. “Most of these houses when built, the recent fire safety guidelines were not followed. But if the owners and occupants want, certain safety measures can be implemented, though none of the houses has those,” said a fire officer.
In another building at the MG Road-CR Avenue crossing, electric wires hung dangerously. “The wiring is old and needs to be changed. But due to a dispute between the landlord and the tenants, we can’t come to an agreement to replace the wiring,” said a tenant.
Illegal parking in narrow lanes can block the way of fire engines. TOI found trucks parked, not leaving enough space even for a cycle to pass through. “There are buildings where people have stacked their goods in common spaces. In case of a fire, people may get trapped,” said a fire officer.