Ranchi safety audits reveal severe building preparedness vulnerabilities

Urban expansion has witnessed the mushrooming of hospitals, commercial buildings, apartments, hostels and paying guest accommodation across every locality of the city. However, fire safety preparedness remains a matter of concern, with several buildings lacking adequate arrangements to deal with emergencies. Several facilities across the city lack proper firefighting infrastructure. In many buildings, fire alarms and firefighting systems are either non-functional or not maintained regularly. While fire extinguishers have been installed in some buildings, including hospitals, they are often not serviced regularly.

Dr Praveen Karan, state epidemiologist, said, “Regular audits are conducted at government healthcare facilities. While both government and private hospitals generally possess basic fire safety infrastructure, the issue lies in maintaining and renewing safety certifications on time.” Many private clinics continue to function with little awareness regarding fire safety compliance. A dental practitioner operating a clinic at Kutchery Chowk said, “The responsibility of maintaining fire safety infrastructure is on the building owner. This clinic is on rent. The norms should be maintained by the building owner. We have not checked about it because we consider it his responsibility.”

National Health Mission (NHM) issues annual advisories and directions regarding timely fire safety audits and electrical safety audits across healthcare institutions. Dr Karan emphasised that safety assessments are mandatory irrespective of whether a facility already possesses a valid NOC. “Every hospital, including public and private institutions, is directed to conduct safety assessments even if it already possesses a valid NOC,” said Dr Karan.

In many hostels and PG accommodations, basic firefighting equipment is either unavailable or insufficient. A hostel representative of a hostel near, Upper Bazzar, admitted that awareness regarding periodic renewal of fire safety facilities remains limited. “We had obtained the necessary NOC before the building plan was approved. However, we were not aware of that fire safety related clearances require periodic renewal. We would have taken the necessary steps if known,” the representative said. Residents highlighted narrow roads and limited open spaces could hamper rescue operations during emergencies. Saroj Kumari, a hostel resident at Peace Road in Lalpur, said, “The area is so congested that when two vehicles arrive simultaneously, traffic movement becomes difficult. If an emergency occurs, rescue operations would face serious challenges.”

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