Reportedly with just a month left for several lakh school students across hyderabad and the rest of Telangana to return after their summer break, educational institutions seem to be unprepared when it comes to dealing with fire safety. Meanwhile it was found last year that 90% of schools in the city do not abide by the mandatory fire safety measures and have been operating without ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOCs) for several years.
Furthermore the Enforcement, Vigilance and Disaster Management (EVDM) wing of the Greater hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has undertaken an audit of various establishments to check for lapses in fire safety measures. Apparently officials said that checking pubs and bars, hospitals and schools was part of the plan.
Moreover the majority of schools do not seem to have a problem with this, as was shown when the Telangana Recognized School Management Association (TRSMA) called for a bandh of all private schools in the state last year. Further the private school managements asked the state to stop demanding fire, traffic and other NOCs (no objection certificates). Perhaps even as many schools will function from June unchecked when it comes to precautions or measures if disaster strikes, officials say that there is nothing to worry about.
