GNIDA CEO suggests fire safety ratings in high rise societies

Greater Noida: Fire safety is going to be in focus in the housing societies of Greater Noida in the time to come. The Greater Noida Authority CEO, Narendra Bhushan has advocated a rating system to promote fire safety in high-rise buildings at the Fire India 2021 Expo held at Expo Mart, Greater Noida.

CEO Narendra Bhushan said that just as green buildings are rated, similarly high-rise buildings should also have a fire safety rating. The ratings would be given by the authorities concerned. They can give one, two, three, four, and five ratings depending on the number of fire equipment installed in the buildings.

CEO Bhushan added this information should also be made public so that people know which building has got how many ratings of fire safety. Greater Noida Authority is ready to fully cooperate on this with the fire department to play a major role in it.

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Greater Noida has also provided a 72-meter hydraulic platform worth about Rs 18 crore to the fire department. The completion or occupancy certificates are issued by the authority only after assessing the NOC of fire safety issued by the fire department.

Arnimesh Kumar [52], AOA president of Aishwaryam Society, Greater Noida West, says, “If I would have been asked our society’s Fire safety rating, then I would give it a rating of just 2 out of 5. Still, I would say that this is a good suggestion,  as it will inform other people about society’s fire infrastructure.”

He added further, “On September 16, a fire audit was done in our society. This society has been in existence for the last four years, still, no mock drills have been done till now.”
Another cause of concern in the housing society is the fact that some residents have also covered sprinklers in their apartments while doing the interiors of their homes.

Himanshu Saxena, an office-bearer of  Devika social welfare society, sector 1, Greater Noida west, “I do not think giving ratings to housing societies is a good idea. I believe that fire safety is a thing where all societies should be treated equally and a high standard of fire safety should be maintained for all, as fire is a matter of life and death.”

A resident of Panchsheel Hynish, on the condition of anonymity, says, “Our society deserves 2 out of 5. This suggestion of rating is beneficial. Whenever a fire drill is going to be organized in our society then automatically the checking of fire safety equipment would be done. Fire audit is done in our society but the problems that come out never get solved in reality. Two years back, a fire audit meeting was done which pointed out many mistakes from the builder.”

Similarly, in many high-rise societies of Greater Noida, the unavailability of fire equipment make residents feel unsafe. It is the same in Casa Woodstock society of Gaur City 2, Greater Noida, where according to the residents no fire fighting system works. Also, several small incidents have happened when due to the lack of smoke detectors in working condition, no fire alarm rang and no water sprinkler worked.