Clamour for fire safety audit gets louder in Kozhikode

The second fire outbreak at a major textile shop in the bustling Palayam area within a short span has intensified calls for a comprehensive fire safety audit of commercial buildings in Kozhikode district.

Rescue workers say the latest incident, though brought under control without casualties on Tuesday, has once again exposed glaring gaps in fire preparedness in high-density business zones.

With more than 160 fire outbreaks within the past one-and-a-half months in the district, concerns are mounting over the effectiveness of the existing safety mechanisms in several commercial zones. The three major fire outbreaks last year—including a massive blaze at the mofussil bus stand and another inside the battery backup unit at the Kozhikode medical College—also indicate the alleged continuing negligence in the sector.

“It was the spot intervention by firefighters that saved the multi-storey textile building on Tuesday. The second incident at the same building is a matter of grave concern, and it will be taken up seriously for corrective measures,” said a senior Fire and Rescue Services department official. He added that the incident was handled on time owing to access to the affected structure.

Building safety experts and engineers point out that the demand for a district-wide audit covering high-rises, hospitals, and commercial establishments has remained unaddressed for a long time, with no concern for the safety of the public. The State government’s recent decision to extend the validity of fire no-objection certificates to five years is another concern amid pending fire safety audit initiatives, they say.

“The Disaster Management Authority has a crucial role to play in this area as it can easily expose those who cold-shoulder safety norms. At-least vulnerable areas and prime spots should be audited,” says V. Manoj, a former building inspector. He points out that illegal regularisation of faulty constructions should be suspended with immediate effect as it can aggravate the situation.

A comprehensive fire audit conducted four years ago had brought to light grave violations by owners of commercial buildings in prime locations. In the audit, around 140 buildings had been identified for safety rule violations. Of the identified buildings, 107 were multi-storey complexes. The vulnerable structures were identified after inspecting over 300 buildings. A report featuring the violations was also submitted to the Disaster Management Authority for further action.

In an inspection held later, the Kozhikode Corporation had confirmed the presence of nearly 3,000 unauthorised constructions. Though many of those projects were regularised after addressing safety concerns, some builders were found delaying the procedures citing technical issues. Sources say there were no follow-up measures to review corrective steps taken by the owners of such buildings.