Delhi pubs are ill-equipped in case of a fire

That's what a number of 'ill-equipped' Delhi pubs may prove to be, in case of a fire

December 2009, Perm (Russia): More than 115 people were killed in the Lame Horse night club when a fire broke out in the middle of weekend rush.

January 2009, Bangkok: More than 60 New Year revellers were killed during a blaze at the downtown Santika Club in the city's busy Thong Lo district.

March 1996, Manila: About 200 people were charred to death after a fierce fire spread through the Ozone Disco Pub in the suburban Quezon City.


Flirting with disaster: The Delhi Fire Service has issued notices to
several pubs/discotheques in the city

Delhi has just been plain lucky, so far. A number of city pubs bank upon sheer good fortune when it comes to fire-fighting, leave alone preventing a blaze.
This has been revealed by an RTI application. And the names include some of the most elite and sought after clubs.

Basic fire-safety mechanisms like a sprinkler system, hose reel, fire hydrants and smoke venting systems were either found missing or defunct. Safety experts believe that fires prove the most disastrous at night clubs, pubs and discos as they are usually packed to capacity, making escape difficult. On top of that, most of the occupants are inebriated after a drink or two, escalating the crucial response time.

The Delhi Fire Service, however, is not sitting easy and has in fact issued notices to several of these pubs.

LAP dance
LAP is one of the most high-profile clubs that have been asked to clean up their act. The club is situated inside Hotel Samrat, a stone's throw away from the Prime Minister's official residence at 7, Race Course Road.
The club was issued a notice on December 8, 2009 and was asked to install more fire hydrants, clear the fire-exit, use curtains treated with non-flammable material and repair the smoke venting system.
Another posh defaulter on the list is Capitol at Hotel Ashoka. It was issued a notice, after an inspection by the Fire department officials, on February 18, 2010. There were very few fire extinguishers in the club and the smoke venting system was out of shape. The bar-cum-discotheque is a major hive for the young and the rich. Weekend parties at the club, situated in the diplomatic enclave, attract hundreds of party-goers every week.
"We regularly inspect and issue directions to these clubs. If a particular defaulter fails to rectify the errors pointed out in the fire-safety inspection, its licence can also be cancelled," said Atul Garg, principal information officer, Delhi Fire Service.

Carelessness
Garg said many clubs don't install fire-safety appliances or don't attend to their maintenance. "In a night club or pub most of the people are in an inebriated condition and as smoking is allowed, the smoke alarms are often turned off. By the time a fire is detected, itu00a0 gets enough time to spread out. Also, any sound is muzzled under the deafening music played out at the discotheques."
Apart from LAP and Capitol, Hash and Bacchusu00a0--- both situated in the posh Basant Lok area -- have also been issued similar notices. While Hash was issued a notice on November 9, 2009, Bacchus received a memo on August 7, 2009.
Both the discotheques are situated on the first floor and both were found defaulting on a proper exit system. There were no illuminated exit signs and the exit gates were too narrow. Moreover, the fire escapes were found clogged or blocked.

Games on
Sources in the Delhi government told MiD DAY that the Commonwealth Games organisers had categorically asked for the details and status of night clubs, pubs and discotheques in the capital. "It is all the more important for us, now, that we should ensure complete compliance with fire-safety norms at these spots. Games venues are the only places where we have to ensure security for the visiting athletes," a senior official said, requesting anonymity.
u00a0"They cannot take patrons for granted. The clubs must ensure security of hundreds of young people who come to their premises for meeting friends and de-stressing after a busy week of work," said Shahzad Asad, the RTI applicant.