The Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services Department as part of its continuous drive to check for fire safety worthiness of public buildings across the State has slapped prosecution notices on three structures including a school within the capital region.
It had taken up inspection of 20 buildings in the first fortnight of this month randomly chosen by the computer as also the fire personnel inspecting the chosen premises.
While Oxford High School located in Icrisat Colony in Patancheru has been found to be lacking open spaces all round, had an illegally constructed floor and deficiency in fire fighting equipment, two other buildings belonging to K. Ravi Kumar and Abdul Aziz in Serlingampally and Toli Chowki, respectively, had deficit equipment or ‘not in working condition’, etc.
Director General Rajiv Ratan on Friday informed that the department had also initiated legal action against Mohd. Shafi Osman, owner of building housing Apollo Hospitals in Hyderguda and Arfah Gardens in Adilabad, in the City Civil Court and Magistrate court, respectively.
Supplementary charge sheets would be filed on the owners/occupiers of the two buildings for “continuing offence” as per section 31 of the TS Fire Service Act 1999, he said and appealed to all builders to adhere to the fire safety regulations as per the norms in ‘no objection certificate’ issued by the department as the random inspections would continue.
