Vizag bars care a hoot about fire safety norms

Visakhapatnam: Despite the series of fire mishaps in bar and restaurants the world over, fire and emergency service department officials were yet to wake up in Vizag. 

There are over 88 bar and restaurants in the city and around 90 per cent of them were functioning without the No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the fire department.

A senior officer of the Department on condition of anonymity said that majority of bars and restaurants in Vizag city had been flouting fire safety norms and had no fire extinguishers. The premises had no exit door, ventilation, exhaust fans or an escape route in case of fire, he added.

The fire leading to the death of five employees in a bar-cum-restaurant in Bengaluru a few days ago was the result of gross negligence of the management. 

Though bar-cum-restaurants in Vizag had been doing brisk business, the managements ignored the safety of the customers, said P. Diwakar, who used to visit the bars regularly.

Regional fire officer G. Srinivasulu said that with the support of the fire safety wing of GVMC, inspections would be conducted soon across all bars and restaurants in the city and notices would be issued to those violating norms.

“We had inspected 27 hotels, including star hotels in the city and found that 12 of them didn’t have any of the required fire safety equipment. The managements of these hotels have been directed to install the mandatory fire safety equipment and obtain NOC from the fire department in a month,” he added.

As most of the ruling TD leaders were involved in liquor business and were partners in bar and restaurants in Vizag city, officials of prohibition and excise, GVMC, food safety and fire safety departments were turning a blind eye to violators. Stale food was being served in many bars, pubs and restaurants, alleged YSR Congress leaders from Visakhapatnam.