The frequent fire outbreaks across the State as the summer temperature soars is unlikely to end soon if the findings of a month-long Statewide inspection carried out by the Fire and Rescue Services are any indication. As on February 15, nearly 3,000 buildings were operating without a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Fire and Rescue Services.
6,000 buildings
Nearly 2,200 buildings function without renewing the NOC. Over 6,000 buildings were inspected as part of the drive.
Kollam had 585 buildings operating without fire NOC, while Alappuzha and Kottayam had 381 and 325 such buildings. In Thiruvananthapuram there are 267 such buildings. Thrissur and Palakkad follow with 243 and 274 buildings.
At 507, Thiruvananthapuram pipped the rest when it comes to buildings operating without renewing the NOC and with flaws. Kottayam emerged second with 269 similar buildings. The figures in Kozhikode, Ernakulam and Kollam districts were 231, 227 and 212 buildings.
The Fire and Rescue Services wing has issued letters to the local bodies drawing attention to the problematic buildings in nearly 3,500 cases. Letters were issued to the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) in nearly 2,500 more serious cases. The department reported 680 buildings to the DDMA, Thiruvananthapuram, while 305 buildings each were reported to the Kollam and Ernakulam DDMAs.
Residential, educational, institutional, assembly (like auditoriums and cinema halls), business, mercantile, industrial, storage, and hazardous category buildings are covered under the inspection.
