The new seven-storied Collectorate building in Tirupur is an imposing structure that could be the cynosure of all eyes ‘from outside’.
But the recent outbreak of an accidental fire inside one of the offices in the Collectorate building and some minor thefts that happened inside have opened a Pandora’s box posing serious questions on the security, safety and disaster mitigation measures in place inside the building.
“Officials are yet to learn from past incidents. Despite the fire that destroyed the National Informatics Centre (NIC) office on the second floor two weeks ago, efforts are yet to take place to set up fire alarms or public address system to caution people inside about any fire outbreak or other threats. Similarly, CCTV cameras have not been placed on all corridors across seven floors despite the theft of a water filter and few other personal belongings in the building”, social activist N. Shanmugasundaram said.
An official working on the fifth floor told The Hindu about the difficulties the staff faced to get out when the fire broke out in the NIC office.
“We saw smoke coming through window but did not know the reason. Only when people came from downstairs as part of evacuation, we realised the seriousness. Even then, there was no idea on which staircase to be taken”, he said.
Making matters worse, only front and rear doors of the building were kept open, with side doors remaining closed all the time.
“This will make evacuations difficult in emergency situations”, said Mr. Shanmugasundaram, adding that fire service personnel and water tenders should be made available round-the-clock on the campus.
