Drive against lax fire safety norms launched in Lucknow

Lucknow, May 1 (UNI) Concerned over the groweing fire incidents in the state capital, fire services authorities have launched an intensive campaign against lack of fire safety norms in multi-storeyed residential, commercial and business establishments.

The authorities, during first phase of the campaign today, sealed Prince Complex, one of the busiest in posh Hazratganj area of Lucknow, which houses about 200 private company offices and about 80 shops.

Earlier yesterday, four buildings, two of them being residential complexes, had also been sealed.

''We have identified about 200 multi-storeyed complexes which are lacking in the fire safety norms and violative of the law in this regard,'' Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Aman Sharma told UNI.

The action taken so far included sealing of the premises and filing of FIR against the erring builders and owners of the building, he said.

Summers, which are generally being conducive to fire incidents, witness so many fire accidents but never before any drive of such magnitude had been launched in urban areas.

With high rise buildings are coming up everyday, the observance of fire safety norms was conveniently being ignored by the builders leading to such drive , the fire officials said.

''The buildings identified for absence of prescribed fire safety norms included many important and congested office and residential premises,'' the CFO said.

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