As the city prepared to welcome the New Year on Sunday evening, Indiranagar residents gathered to pay tribute to the victims of the rooftop pub fire in Kamala Mills Compound, Mumbai, that killed 14 people.
Joined by a few residents from Koramangala, they gathered in front of 'The Humming Tree', on 12th main, Indiranagar with black ribbons, candles, and placards. They demanded that rooftop pubs and other establishments in the city should have necessary fire safety norms in place to prevent a Mumbai-like tragedy in the city.
On Saturday, the department of fire issued notices to six rooftop pubs in Indiranagar and in Koramangala each. They risk closure if they do not comply with the fire safety requirements in 15 days.
The residents had submitted a list of rooftops resto-bars that violated the safety norms, to M N Reddi, DGP of Police, Department of Fire and Emergency services just days before the fire in Kamala Mills.
While fighting for fire safety measures in rooftop establishments, the residents say they will also continue their effort to get all pubs and bars in residential areas closed for good.
Going for fire-safety norm compliance is one strategy. Aruna expressed confidence that the pubs which received notices on Saturday won't be able to comply with safety norms. "It is more than just having fire extinguishers. They will have to make structural changes," she said.
Uday Vijayan of Beyond Carlton (a citizen group advocating fire safety) said they would conduct a pilot project with 'I Change Indiranagar' to make Bengaluru fire-safe. "We intend to go from street to street to ensure that all establishments follow the fire safety norms. We can increase our reach with the resident welfare associations' help. Our work with the Fire department will facilitate the process," he said.
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