Lives of students put at risk

Lives of students put at risk by the management of schools and colleges who are running them in unsafe buildings prone to fire mishaps warn fire officials. In the latest survey conducted by fire department it was found there are nearly 40 government and private schools and institutions which lack basic fire safety norms.

Schools and colleges like Sr Chaitanya Junior College, Naryana Junior College Santosh Nagar, Pragati Degree College, Sultan-ul-uloom College, Deccan Engineering College, Deccan Medical College, Shadan Degree and Engineering College, Gowtham Schoola and College, krishnaveni Talent School, Rosary Convent Girls school, Little Flower, Owaisi Scholl of Excellence, Howard Public School, St. Francis High School, St. Joseph High School and St. Paul High school are some of the schools and colleges after giving notice from the state fire and emergency department still these schools and institutions are playing with fire safety act.

"We have served them notice to the management to install fire safety measures in their respective organizations but no action had been taken so far. We have given respective time limits to all these schools and colleges if they fall to install the fire safety equipments in the given time limits we can seal the school" said, P. Deen Dayal, District Fire Officer.

Recently the Supreme Court in a decision ordered that no new government or private school would be given affiliation if the building fails to have proper fire safety measures and earthquake resistant structure. The apex court has ordered installation of fire-extinguishing equipment and adoption of other safety measures in all government and private schools across the country within six months to avoid recurrence of incidents like the July 2004 school fire in Tamil Nadu that killed 93 children.

Ordering installation of various safety measures in all schools across the country, the apex court asked education secretaries of all states to file their compliance report of its order within one month after installing the safety measures.

The apex court also ordered all government and private schools to strictly comply with various safety measures prescribed by the National Building Code of India in 2005 and asked the governments of various state and union territories not to recognize the schools not complying with safety measures.

Before granting recognition or affiliation, the concerned state governments and union territories are directed to ensure that the buildings are safe and secured from every angle and they are constructed according to the safety norms incorporated in the National Building Code of India.