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Time of India
23-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Less than 2% buildings in Telangana sought fire NOC in last seven years
HYDERABAD : Only 7,000 of the 4.5 lakh buildings across Telangana obtained fire NOCs in the past seven years. Key reason: The Fire Services Act of 1999 that mandates NOCs only for structures taller than 15 metres. The rest can only be looked after by Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. According to officials, this limitation has led to widespread neglect of fire safety measures in buildings below the stipulated height, which account for 99% of fire accidents. "When we recently questioned the Old City Merchants' Association about the absence of fire safety equipment, they said that there are no mandated regulations. This shows complete disregard for safety protocols in non-high-rise structures due to lack of regulation," said Y Nagi Reddy, director general, Telangana fire services, stressing the need to amend the Act amid a rising rate of fire accidents, especially in Hyderabad. "We have already told the chief minister about the need to mandate safety equipment in all buildings. The department has sent proposals to amend the act in line with the present requirements of Hyderabad and Telangana. The existing Act was implemented 26 years ago, considering the circumstances prevalent during that time," he said. The dept said that the proposed amendments will mandate fire compliance for all buildings within city limits. It will also require all establishments to obtain a NOC, regardless of height. Currently, the Fire Services Act excludes industrial units, factories, and commercial buildings below 15 metres from regulation. "Owing to the current Act, even basic safety measures such as sprinklers, alarms, fire detection mechanisms, underground water sumps, and fire extinguishers on each floor — are not followed by buildings. The absence of periodic inspections and requirement for renewal contributes to this non-compliance with safety standards," said a senior fire official.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Less than 2% buildings in Telangana sought fire NOC in last 7 years
Hyderabad: Only 7,000 of the 4.5 lakh buildings across Telangana obtained fire NOCs in the past seven years. Key reason: The Fire Services Act of 1999 that mandates NOCs only for structures taller than 15 metres. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The rest can only be looked after by Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. According to officials, this limitation has led to widespread neglect of fire safety measures in buildings below the stipulated height, which account for 99% of fire accidents. "When we recently questioned the Old City Merchants' Association about the absence of fire safety equipment, they said that there are no mandated regulations. This shows complete disregard for safety protocols in non-high-rise structures due to lack of regulation," said Y Nagi Reddy, director general, Telangana fire services, stressing the need to amend the Act amid a rising rate of fire accidents, especially in Hyderabad. "We have already told the chief minister about the need to mandate safety equipment in all buildings. The department has sent proposals to amend the act in line with the present requirements of Hyderabad and Telangana. The existing Act was implemented 26 years ago, considering the circumstances prevalent during that time," he said. The dept said that the proposed amendments will mandate fire compliance for all buildings within city limits. It will also require all establishments to obtain a NOC, regardless of height. Currently, the Fire Services Act excludes industrial units, factories, and commercial buildings below 15 metres from regulation. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Owing to the current Act, even basic safety measures such as sprinklers, alarms, fire detection mechanisms, underground water sumps, and fire extinguishers on each floor — are not followed by buildings. The absence of periodic inspections and requirement for renewal contributes to this non-compliance with safety standards," said a senior fire official.
Hans India
19-05-2025
- General
- Hans India
Lives snuffed out in smoke chamber; narrow single entry worsened things
Fire department inquiry, short circuit fire, Gulzar Houz blaze, Hyderabad fire rescue, fire safety challenges, Telangana Fire ServicesHyderabad: A preliminary inquiry by the fire department has revealed that a short circuit was the cause of the tragic blaze in Hyderabad's Old City near Charminar, which claimed the lives of 17 members of a single family. Y Nagi Reddy, Director General, Telangana Fire Disaster Response Emergency and Civil Defence stated the cause of death of all the people was smoke inhalation, and nobody had burn injuries. The fire broke out at the ground plus two storey building which Houzs Sri Krishna Pearls shop and the residential building in Gulzar Houz. According to the Telangana disaster response and fire services, the initial inquiry showed that the cause of the fire was a short circuit. Nagi Reddy explained that the Fire Department faced challenges to rescue the trapped persons. He said, 'There was only a single staircase leading to the upper floors, measuring less than one metre in width and situated centrally within the building. This staircase is alarmingly close to the anticipated fire source, resulting in the stairwell being entirely engulfed in smoke and extreme heat. Furthermore, there is no alternative staircase or exit route to access the upper floors. The ground floor access is completely obstructed by bikes, which not only block the exit but also serve as additional fuel for the fire.' The statement by DG revealed that since fire started in ground floor, smoke and heat quickly reached upper floors blocking the only available access to upper floors. Also, there were no windows or doors facing the available road to use hydraulic platform and quick ventilation. 'To save time and to rescue trapped persons quickly, while firefighting was going on in the ground floor, the firefighters had to drill hole in a wall in the first floor to enter and start rescuing and fire fighting operations in first floor,' said Nagi Reddy. 'Because of timely response and action by Fire Department, spread of fire to adjacent properties was prevented and further loss of lives and property was averted,' said DG. According to the Fire Department, a total of 12 appliances reached the fire ground and participated in the firefighting and rescue operations. A total of 11 vehicles, one fire fighting robot, 17 fire officers and 70 personnel were involved in extinguishing the fire and rescuing trapped persons. It is to note that, Advanced Fire Robot and Bronto Sky Lift Hydraulic Platform were also used in the operations.
The Hindu
18-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Over 1,500 join ‘Whitathon' walk for childhood eye cancer awareness
The L. V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) hosted the seventh edition of its annual 'Whitathon' walk on Sunday, drawing over 1,500 participants to raise awareness about the early detection of Retinoblastoma, an aggressive eye cancer affecting children, and to mobilise funds for its treatment. The event, organised in observance of World Retinoblastoma Awareness Week (May 11 to 17), was flagged off at T-Works, Raidurgam by Y Nagi Reddy, Director General of Disaster Response and Fire Services, Telangana. He was joined by Prashant Garg, executive chairman of LVPEI, and Vijay Anand Reddy, director of Apollo Cancer Hospital. Proceeds from the run will go towards providing free treatment to underprivileged children diagnosed with Retinoblastoma, as well as supporting ongoing research in the field, said a release.
Time of India
18-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
17 of jeweller's family, 8 kids among them, die in fire near Hyderabad Charminar
PTI photo HYDERABAD: A century-old three-storey Hyderabad building close to the iconic Charminar caught fire early Sunday, killing 17 members across three generations of a jeweller's family that had assembled in their ancestral home for what was to be a weekend get-together. Patriarch Prahlad Modi , whose roots in Gulzar Houz go back to the Nizam era, and eight children were among the victims, ranging from 2 to 73 years old. They died either from burn injuries or asphyxiation, officials said. Four family members, two of whom were not at home, and some of their workers survived the 6am blaze, suspected to have been caused by an electrical short circuit. Fire engines needed more than two hours to douse the flames, by which time much of the residential-cum-commercial building had been gutted. Short circuit turned get-together into tragedy by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo Fire brigade officials identified the main electrical panel on the ground floor that houses three jewellery stores of the family as the source of the fire. One of the stores had been in business since 1906. 'Sparks caused by the short circuit in the main electrical line spread through the wooden panel and triggered a blast in the compressor unit of one of the ACs, resulting in the blaze growing,' director general of fire services Y Nagi Reddy said. 'Since the building has only one entrance and exit, and the staircase is very narrow, residents couldn't escape. The smoke further made it difficult for them to navigate their way out.' Nagi Reddy said 11 fire engines, a firefighting robot, 17 officers and 70 personnel were deployed to rescue survivors and douse the flames. He contested allegations by relatives of the dead about a delayed response. 'We received a call at 6.16am and immediately rushed our teams to the fire scene,' the DG said. None of 17 Hyd fire victims taken to hospitals could be revived Charminar police station registered a fire accident case based on a complaint by a relative of Prahlad Modi. None of the 17 victims who had been taken to different hospitals – Osmania General Hospital, Apollo Hospital and Yashoda Hospital – could be revived. They were all cremated in the evening. Residents of the Gulzar Houz neighbourhood recalled hearing ominous noises from the building where Prahlad Modi lived with his wife Munni and others soon after the fire broke out. 'By the time we reached the site, the entire building was engulfed in flames. There was little hope of anyone surviving,' said Mir Zahid, a neighbour. PM Narendra Modi announced ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each of the deceased from the PM's National Relief Fund. 'Deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire tragedy in Hyderabad, Telangana. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon,' he wrote on X. Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy, too, announced Rs 5 lakh in ex gratia to the victims' immediate families. Prahlad Modi and his family migrated to Hyderabad from Rajasthan decades ago and have been based in Gulzar Houz since. The extended clan, now spread across the city, would often meet at the patriarch's home, sources said.
