Hyderabad: Museums in the city, under the Union ministry of culture face no fire threat, officials said. The ministry held a review meeting last week on fire safety and other security aspects, and is taking measures to provide additional equipment to museums across the country. City museums have beefed up security, after the fire tragedy at the Natural History museum in Delhi.
Following the 2006 fire at the Salar Jung Museum, officials had procured fire tenders and extinguishers. They also provided infrastructure to the state fire services and disaster management to set up an exclusive fire station in the premises of the SJM.
In the early hours of November 3, 2006, a 300-seater auditorium at the museum, which housed priceless collections of paintings, furniture and other artefacts, was burnt due to an electrical short circuit. A similar incident took place on March 9, 2011 but fire tenders on the premises controlled it immediately.
SJM director A. Nagender Reddy said that they were taking precautionary measures. The museum switches off the main line at 5.30 pm everyday. He said fire extinguishers and fire safety equipment were installed in all the galleries.
Hyderabad district fire officer M. Srinivasa Reddy said the SJM, the City Museum in Purani Haveli, the State Museum at Public Garden and Natural Museum at the zoo were well-protected against fire. “We are insisting that the authorities to increase surveillance during nights. We are also directing library authorities to procure necessary equipment and take precautionary measures in order to avoid fire mishaps,” he said.
