It seems like a long time ago that Bangalore was just another quite South Indian city. But with globalization, the City was caught up in a frenzy of glitz and glamour that define the world today. And with Its new-fangled status as the cosmopolitan hub of India, the retail boom is well and truly on, with world-famous brands after a sliver of the ever-growing market.
An important symbol of this change has been the rampant mall culture. These swanky structures are about the 'hangout' culture that help youngsters here tell the rest of the world – we are cool, just like you! However, recent tragedies in these ‘one-stop’ wonders make us stop on our tracks. Are we forgetting safety in our effort to fit in?
Deccan Herald’s efforts to get a first-hand idea of what’s happening in these ritzy outfits yielded one answer: That safety is indeed a ‘subjective’ issue. This despite some 80,000 people thronging these places on any weekend. It took the tragic death of a child to jolt us out of our smugness, symbolised by lift malfunctions, unmanned escalators, blocked emergency exits and such.
What the law says
While the law is extremely stringent about safety, it is largely confined to paper. A raft of clearances and tedious paper work precede the opening of a mall, but only till BBMP gives its occupancy clearance. The fineprint on periodic checks are fuzzy at best. Bangalore Central building, given an NOC by the Karanataka State Fire and Emergency Services (FES) for a business establishment, now houses a commercial establishment.
It blithely went on to add a floor and converted the basement parking for storage. Repeated reminders from departments concerned yielded little action from the Palike.
Chandrashekar, IGP and Additional Director of FES, says his department is not mandated to either conduct periodic checks or press charges against violators. "Once the NOC is given, it is the Palike’s responsibility." FES Joint Director Changappa says only high-rises as defined by the National Building Code (15 metres plus) require an NOC from FES, “so very few of malls come under our jurisdiction”. With the revised BDA master plan, which defines high-rises as those 24 meters and above, almost all malls are beyond its pale.
Owners responsible?
The mall owners are not above bending rules. Eva mall, managed by the Prestige Group, is an example. Eva’s rooftop hotel had its emergency exit choc-a-bloc with combustible material, with the kitchen too close for comfort. The excuse? The restaurant was not ‘officially’ open to the public yet! Says Neeraj Duggal, VP (Marketing), Prestige group: "We’re tackling all safety issues." Just when they would be done with it, remains unclear. Even the recently opened Lido Mall had some kind of an excuse ready when the false roofing collapsed after water seepage.
But the mall rats cannot shirk responsibility either. Children come to these places with no adult supervision. Parents leave their little ones unattended at escalators and lifts. Even those who have been customers for years now have no clue as to where, say, the emergency exit is!
All of which means we are still some way off absorbing the mall culture.
