Every house and shop will receive a fire safety report card, with a safety rating out of 10. The LDA is working on this.

Lucknow: Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) is going to launch a very unique and revolutionary public safety initiative, taking a tough lesson from the recent horrific fires and accidents in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh. Amid the ongoing fire checking campaign against hotels, hospitals and coaching centers across the state, the LDA has now decided to conduct a mandatory fire safety survey of every house, shop, showroom and complex located in all its residential colonies and commercial areas. Under this massive campaign, every building will be examined closely and it will be given a ‘Safety Rating’ on a scale of 10 points, which will make it clear how prepared that building is to deal with the dangers of fire.

In the first phase of this ambitious project, LDA will implement this survey in all the residential and commercial townships under its jurisdiction. To carry out this work with utmost precision, a high level ‘fire expert agency’ is being selected, whose teams will conduct door-to-door fire audits for free. Lucknow Development Authority itself will bear the entire expense of this entire survey, for which a special budget of about Rs 2 crore is expected to be allocated.

Safety score will be pasted outside the house: Buildings with less than 5 points will be considered ‘dangerous’

After completion of this comprehensive survey, the expert agency will prepare a detailed digital and physical fire safety chart for each building. This report will be handed over directly to the building owner, and along with it a special QR-coded ‘security rating sticker’ will be placed on the main entrance or external wall of the building.

Under this rating system, buildings that score 9 or more points will be classified as ‘Highly Safe’. On the contrary, houses or shops which get less than 5 points will be declared ‘highly sensitive and risky’ in terms of fire safety. With the installation of this sticker, not only will the property owner be aware of his shortcomings, but the customers visiting there and the people in the neighborhood will also be able to get information about the actual safety status of that building.

Not just shortcomings, the expert team will also give a map of improvement: Statement of LDA VC Prathamesh Kumar

Lucknow Development Authority Vice Chairman (VC) Prathamesh Kumar, while sharing the outline of the project, clarified that this survey will not be limited to just giving marks or marking buildings. The expert agency will also explain in detail in its final report why a building has received low marks and which technical deficiencies pose the highest risk of short circuit or fire spread.

Along with the report, a customized ‘Improvement Guide’ will also be provided, so that people can make necessary changes at low cost to make their buildings safe. The expert team will mainly review the buildings’ internal electrical system, concealed wiring, maintenance of flammable materials and emergency exit routes. If any serious or immediate threat to life or property is seen in any residential or commercial premises, practical advice will be given on the spot to remove it immediately.

The strength of your house and shop will be tested on these 15 strict points.

The audit team appointed by the LDA will evaluate the buildings primarily on the basis of the following technical and structural points:

• The quality of internal electrical wiring and its load capacity.

• Actual condition of main cable and electricity meter connections.

• Protection arrangement of meter box, MCB and main electrical panels.

• Immediate possibilities of short circuit occurring inside the building.

• The quantity of inflammable materials stored in the premises or warehouse.

• Kitchen safety and proper maintenance of LPG gas cylinder.

• Availability of fire extinguishers and their expiry dates.

• Width of safe exit doors in case of emergency.

• Illegal occupation or obstruction in main staircases and corridors.

• Rescue plan to get people out safely in case of fire.

• Smoke ventilation and the possibility of suffocation in the building.

• Use of refractory materials that prevent fire from spreading rapidly.

• Adherence to the Government National Building Code (NBC) standards in commercial establishments.

• Earthing and protection of high-load electronic and air conditioning (AC) equipment.

• Ease of access of fire brigade (fire fighting vehicle) to the street or inside the premises at the time of an accident.