Beware! Malls are hazard zones

Beware! Malls are hazard zones
Deccan Herald

The festive season is on and all shopping areas are decked up for customers. The ware on display as well as the attractive offers might egg you on to splurge. But what about your safety while you shop?

Well, going by the Fire and Emergency Services Department, it appears that every minute of shopping in most malls of the City is akin to courting disaster. In a damning indictment, the department has categorically stated that these malls have no contingency plan for emergencies.

A department report on fire prevention and fire-fighting measures at the City malls has pointed out that the flashy interior designing of these malls has literally gobbled up fire-fighting equipment like fire detectors, sprinklers and hydrant outlets.


Even the emergency exit signs are not visible.

Mr B G Changappa, Joint Director, Karnataka State Fire & Emergency Services, told Deccan Herald: “The festival season is on and will go on till the New Year. Several shopping malls are decked up with lights and lit up in glowing signboards for which power lines have been drawn haphazardly. God forbid, but there could be major mishaps due to such irresponsible acts.”

Recipes for disaster

“It is not difficult for me or my men to fight fire but it is difficult to fight the lack of preparedness. Every major mall situated in the Central Business District gets around 5,000 visitors on a daily basis. In case of an emergency, the catastrophe would be unimaginable,” he said.

Emergency exit signs have been either removed or covered. This may confuse people during an emergency and more people could be trapped in a dangerous situation, he said.

He explained that water sprinklers and hydrant outlets are covered by the false ceilings of interior designing, making it difficult to locate them in case of fire or other emergencies. Further, water delivery hose boxes and extinguishers have been removed from several malls, increasing risk to life.

Fire orders with details like the do’s and dont’s during a mishap and telephone numbers of local fire services, police and ambulance services have not been displayed, the report has stated. Neither the security personnel nor the traders have any awareness of fire prevention and emergency measures, which, he said, only further endangers the shoppers.

Only three shopping malls in the City have obtained clearance from the fire service. As most other shopping malls are located in structures that do not qualify to be multi-storey buildings, they have been exempted from obtaining any clearance from fire and emergency services.

Bangalore City’s shopping malls are also trapped under overlapping jurisdictions as they are an assortment of trading areas, hotels and multiplexes among other things. Each of these are governed by different laws. The trading areas, for example, follow BMP guidelines which are mostly formulated with stand-alone shops in mind rather than shopping complexes. “There is a need for a comprehensive law governing shopping malls and high rise buildings,” Mr Changappa said.



The Norms

* Wide entry space, exit signs, a minimum of two staircases and lifts with fire resistance doors.

* Manually operated electrical fire alarm system

* Automatic heat and smoke detection system

* Automatic sprinkler system for every 7 sq metres

The Violations

*Fire detectors, sprinklers and hydrants covered by false roofing, missing exit signs

* Open space outside used for parking, kiosks or for events

* Fire order with details of do’s and dont’s and emergency telephone numbers not displayed

* Basement meant for parking used for storage