AA Edit | In Hyd Tragedy, A Vital Lesson

The tragedy in Hyderabad that claimed the lives of 17 members of a family of jewellers is a grim reminder of how institutional neglect of fire safety can have undesirable consequences. While such incidents often give way to outrage, what remains unchanged is the fundamental apathy among people towards preventive measures — both at the institutional level and within civil society.

One of the most glaring lapses is the absence of enforcement of building codes. The National Building Code lays down clear fire safety norms, but compliance remains optional or, at best, selectively enforced, or largely ignored. Most builders and individual house owners flout fire safety regulations with impunity, aided by a combination of lax oversight and corruption.

In a country, where housing is still considered a premium possession, people often side-step fire safety requirements. In an attempt to maximise land use while building their houses, most people opt for narrow passages and congested houses, which would make tinder boxes in the event of fire mishaps — this was one of the reasons that impeded the efforts of firefighters to douse fire in the Hyderabad fire mishap.

The practice of people going for false ceilings made of low-cost inflammable materials for the sake of aesthetics, without installing fire safety systems, makes buildings more prone to fire mishaps.

Governments should, therefore, increase people’s awareness about fire safety by including it in the school curriculum. Basic fire drills, accessible escape routes, and readily available fire extinguishers should be mandatory in every residential and commercial building.

There are less than 3,000 fire stations in India for 780 districts, translating to around four per district. In terms of coverage, each fire station would serve 1,000 sq km. The state government should insist on newly developed communities to have basic firefighting materials.

There is also a need to modernise and equip fire departments across the country. Fire safety must become a priority rather than an afterthought. Lives should not be lost to negligence that is entirely preventable.