80 percent of the fire incidents in the state have taken place due to the leakage in LPG cylinders and short circuits in electric system.
Non-implementation of Fire Force Act (FFA) (1967) in Jammu and Kashmir has resulted in around 3500 dead- ly fire incidents last year with the state authorities taking no measure to put lid over such unfortunate happenings. Data informed that there has been no development over the implementation of the Fire Force Act of the year 1967 in which it was made mandatory for all the building to install fire safety equipments to prevent the fire incidents. The Fire and Emergency department here has till date undertaken major steps for the implementation of the act. However,highly placed sources revealed that the Fire and Emergency department sent a detailed report over the implementation of the act to the government but the file is gathering dust since years with the buildings in the state continue to remain on the brink of destruction. Reports informed that more than 80 percent of the fire incidents in the state have taken place due to the leak- age in LPG cylinders and short circuits in electric system. More than 43 persons have lost their lives during the fire incidents in Kashmir valley in the year 2014 while as 90 persons were injured. There were around 1300 fire incidents that have devastated large scale proper- ties in Kashmir valley last year. The main reason as per the reports is the absence of fire safety equipments that were ought to be installed in every building in the state. September2015 2015 Kashmir Leader December
The fire and emergency services here turns virtually a powerless office when it comes to enforce the fire safety guidelines for multi-storey commercial establishment, hotels, cinema halls and shopping complexes. More than 43 persons have lost their lives during the fire incidents in Kashmir valley in the year 2014 while as 90 persons were injured. There were around 1300 fire incidents that have devastated large scale properties in Kashmir valley last year. There is no stringent enforcement as on date in absence of Fire Force Act with the department of Fire and Emergency Services, as such the office issues only technical recommendations regarding fire safety measure, whosoever approaches department for the same. Reports informed that the NOC is given for the functioning of the build- ing only when the owners approach the office with the plea that the recommendations were complied and nec- essary fire protection measures have been adopted in line of guidelines/ provisions of NBC part-1V issued by the department. Sources also said that majority of the buildings function in the state without the NOC from the Fire and Emergency Services as the 1967 act is not implemented in JK.
According to the preliminary report prepared by Jammu and Kashmir Fire and Emergency Services in the year 2011, the safety measures were “al- most found negligible” in 157 hospitals, nursing homes and health centres of the state. In 2013, 85 people (47 from Kash- mir and 38 from Jammu) died in more than 5000 fire incidents across the state. Interestingly, the other states of India like Kerala Goa and New Delhi, the FFA is in force and any person who does not withstand the act, the direc- tor or concerned authority has a right to enter and inspect any building for ascertaining the adequacy of fire pre- vention and fire safety measures and punish the culprits. But here in Jam- mu and Kashmir, the building permission is sought from the concerned mu- nicipal corporations with no authority accorded to Fire and Emergency to enfore the installation of the fire safety equipments in the constructed buildings.
