Kolkata, May 8 (IANS) The state government is considering issuing Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for all rooftop eateries across West Bengal to avoid future legal complications in the event of a fire.
This move comes after a devastating blaze that broke out at Rituraj hotel in central Kolkata on the night of April 29 killed 15 people.
Following the fire, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) issued a notice ordering the immediate closure of all rooftop eateries within the vicinity of Greater Kolkata that come under its jurisdiction.
In some cases, joint teams of the corporation and Kolkata Police also reached certain establishments to demolish them.
However, the eatery owners moved Calcutta High Court, following which the court put an interim stay on the demolition till further orders.
“The corporation ordered immediate closure of all rooftop restaurants, considering that in case of a major fire in a building where the emergency exit is non-existent or non-functional, the roof of that building will act as the last shelter for the residents.
“However, because of the absence of SOPs across the state on this count, the corporation’s move to close or demolish some of these rooftop eateries faced legal complication.
“This has prompted the West Bengal government to think of issuing SOPs on this count that will be applicable throughout the state,” said a senior official of the state government.
At the same time, he added, the corporation is stressing on better coordination between different departments, namely municipalities and municipal corporations concerned, the West Bengal fire services, and police departments, to combat the menace of illegal constructions on roofs and basements.
Already, the KMC has announced that no new construction on the roofs and basements of any building under its jurisdiction will be allowed in future, and the roofs and basements should be shown as a common area in the plans for a new building-plan.
There were severe lapses in fire safety management and a lack of proper evacuation and ventilation facilities in Hotel Rituraj in central Kolkata, where the fire broke out on April 29.
–IANS
src/rad
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by TodayIndia.news and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TodayIndia.news We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, TodayIndia.news takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
