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The Hindu
07-08-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Validity of fire NOC extended to five years amidst growing concerns on safety rule violations
The validity period of No Objection Certificates (NOC) issued by the Fire and Rescue Services department after safety inspections in commercial and residential buildings has been extended to five years as part of the State Business Reform Action Plan-2024 (SBRAP-2024) despite recurring incidents of fire accidents in high-rises in the State and public complaints related to the lack of proper fire safety measures. Based on the official order issued by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home department on August 4, the Director General, Fire and Rescue Services, will soon initiate suitable department-level amendments to the old rule that had insisted on the mandatory renewal of fire NOC by its holders every year after thorough safety inspections. Expressing concern Though a section of experienced Fire and Rescue Services personnel has already expressed their protest against the move with a claim that it will derail the stringent safety measures, the latest order makes it clear that the existing NOC holders will be able to enjoy the benefit of the amended rule from the next NOC renewal time. Also, the applicants of NOC for high-rises will be given the freedom to opt for a validity of four years or lesser periods on payment of the proportionate fee. 'It is part of the deregulation and compliance initiative under the SBRAP by the State government, which is of the view that mandatory annual renewal of NOCs for all occupancies causes avoidable hardship, repeated documentation and procedural delay. Concerns of buildings and establishment owners with minimal fire safety risks were also in focus during the official discussions,' said a senior Fire and Safety department officer, who received the order. He also said the changes came into effect in the context of ease of doing business and reducing compliance burden. As per the order, safety inspections will continue as usual in buildings with hazardous occupancy such as those involving hazardous industries or buildings having multiple integrated electric circuits or buildings with storage of hazardous materials where longer validity without reassessment pose safety risks. It also clarifies that the validity of fire NOC will be limited to two years in the case of such applicants. Weakening system Meanwhile, rescue operators who oppose the latest order point out that such regulations have been already active and there is no point in reading it with the latest amendments. According to them, the five-year NOC will only result in weakening the existing safety audit system and give more freedom to the high-rise owners to bypass or ignore the safety requirements. 'As a responsible officer with several years of experience in firefighting, I consider it as a risky move where the public will be at the receiving end. What we need is the strengthening of the annual inspection system which can easily expose the violators,' said a Fire and Rescue Services department officer who termed the new order a 'disappointing' one and called for its thorough review again. He said the five-year NOC would never be an advisable one for important facilities such as hospital buildings.
The Hindu
30-05-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
Heavy rains batter Kerala overnight, cause widespread havoc and power outages
Heavy rains accompanied by strong winds battered Kerala overnight and into early Friday (May 30, 2025), inundating residential areas, damaging homes and forcing at least 1,200 citizens to seek refuge in government-run relief camps. The heavy weather uprooted trees and downed power lines. The Fire and Rescue Services department and the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) scrambled to clear fallen trees and restore power to an estimated 60 lakh households across the State. Nevertheless, large swathes of the State, including much of Thiruvananthapuram district, remained without power. Power Minister K. Krishnankutty told reporters that public resistance to pre-monsoon pruning off overhanging branches and precariously leaning trees jeopardised the safety of overhead powerlines and transformers. He said the Chief Secretary had instructed the District Collectors to invoke the Disaster Management Act 2005 provisions to overcome such resistance. He said the heavy rains and falling tree branches damaged 2,500 high-tension and 10,000 low-tension power lines across the State and that scores of transformers malfunctioned. The KSEB has sustained a loss of ₹121 crore by a conservative preliminary estimate. He said KSEB has deployed more engineers and line workers to restore power distribution. He said using underground cables to transmit electricity was the long-term solution to ensure uninterrupted power during inclement weather. However, he said the KSEB's goal remained elusive, given the high costs involved and the public utility's inability to raise power charges. Mr Krishnankutty noted the water level in 16 major and 15 small hydroelectric power dams remained within the safety threshold. Red alert Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has stated that the severe weather was set to continue with the low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal intensifying incrementally. It has issued a red alert for Idukki, Kannur and Kasargod districts. The government has declared a holiday for educational institutions, including private tuition centres. in Kottayam, Idukki, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Kannur and Kasargod. High waves The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information (INCOIS) has forecast high waves reaching up to 3.7 m in height along Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts. It has issued a red alert in the coastal localities and cautioned fishers from putting their boats out to sea. The INCOIS has issued an orange alert, warning of tidal surges and high waves along the coasts of Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kasargod, and Kannur. The respective district administrations have suspended beach activities. Swollen rivers The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has flagged a rise in water levels in Manimala, Achankovil and Meenachil rivers in Pathanamthitta and Kottayam districts, respectively. It has warned people living on the banks of Korapuzha (Kozhikode) and Kabani (Wayanad) to exercise extreme caution. Delayed trains The heavy rains have delayed several trains, including the Jan Shatabdi Express. Several more were running late, chiefly due to waterlogging of tracks and trees falling on the railway lines. The government has banned nighttime travel in the Idukki district. In several residential localities across Kerala, stormwater pooled under parked cars and motorcycles, damaging the vehicles. So far, the government has evacuated 1,200 people to relief camps. At least 159 houses were partially damaged, according to KSDMA estimates. Reports of rain-related deaths were also trickling in from different parts of the State. A 65-year-old man, K J James, drowned in a waterlogged locality at Punnapra in the Alappuzha district.
The Hindu
21-04-2025
- The Hindu
Two engineering students from A.P. drown in a farm well near Tiruchi
Two students from Andhra Pradesh pursuing engineering course at a private college at Samayapuram near Tiruchi drowned in a farm well along the bypass on Sunday. The victims were identified as Madala Venkatesh, 19, and Velugu Laxmi Aravind, 19, both of Prakasam district. They were second year B. Tech Computer Science Engineering students. The two, along with their friend Vignesh Reddy, had gone for a bath in the farm well in the afternoon. Police sources said Madala Venkatesh, who apparently did not know swimming, had drowned. On noticing this, Velugu Laxmi Aravind tried to rescue him but in vain. The Fire and Rescue Services department personnel from the Srirangam fire station retrieved the bodies later. The Samayapuram police have registered a case under Section 194 of the BNSS.
