Dear Editor,
At the one year anniversary of the mass death in the arson fire, we are reminded about it; some 20 innocent children lives were lost. The psychological trauma to affected families is permanent. In recent years, there have been too many devastating fires that took too many lives and billions of dollars in properties. These fires could have been avoided if officials earnestly did their duty. There was sheer disregard for fire safety norms in buildings with little accountability of inspectors and proprietors.
Lack of safety standards in construction and enforcement of those on the books continue to pose insidious threats to lives and destruction of property. Builders, proprietors, tenants, regulatory authorities, and those in charge of managing buildings are all responsible for maintenance of fire safety standards. Any breakdown in communication among any of them can result in serious consequences, as the country experienced last year, with the fire that took so many lives in the school in the hinterland.
Safety protocols must be enforced at all times. The Fire department should be more pro-active with inspecting building, including homes, to educate the public about common sense measures to protect themselves. They should also inspect and enforce compliance of safety codes of large publicly used buildings.
It is a known fact that most builders don’t always use fire retardant materials in construction. They go for the cheap. Builders must do better in standards for construction material and electrical wires. More importantly, the government and fire department must urgently address this insidious threat posed by non-enforcement of safety regulations.
Sincerely,
Vishnu Bisram
