By IANS
New Delhi : As the memory of the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire tragedy continues to haunt the relatives of the victims, so does the big question: are the capital’s theatres prepared to handle a similar situation?
As the Uphaar theatre in south Delhi caught fire during a film show on July 13, 1997, 59 people died, many of them because of asphyxiation and the others in the stampede, as the exit route was narrow.
“The tragedy has left unforgettable lessons behind and we have learnt from the past failure. We have already upgraded all mechanisms and systems to avoid any such incident in the future,” said deputy fire chief officer A.K. Sharma.
“Before the accident, there used to be no review of safety measures once licences were issued to the theatres, but now we visit each cinema hall every quarter and ensure that security norms are in place.”
He said that officials of the fire department, land and building department, licensing department of Delhi Police, health officials and civic bodies jointly conduct inspections to ensure that the premises are safe against fire hazards and that mandatory safety measures and fire alarm systems are in place.
“We issue them a notice if any safety-related equipment is found defective or not functional. They are asked to rectify the fault within a stipulated period. The same team revisits the theatre to ensure directives are implemented,” Sharma told IANS.
He said that fire-fighting equipment – water nozzles, water tanks, extinguishers and pumps – and glowing exit sign boards are specially scrutinised. Special attention is also paid to the emergency exit doors.
However, Sharma said that the possibility of such incidents could never be ruled out despite the best efforts.
A senior Delhi Police officer said the police force is very particular about lighting arrangements in the halls, exit doors, fire extinguishers, ventilation, width of the staircases and the condition of transformers before a no-objection certificate is issued to cinema halls.
According to Vishal Anand, spokesman of the Fun Republic chain of multiplexes, the Uphaar tragedy resulted from panic and more lives were lost due to asphyxiation and stampede than due to the fire.
“We have charted a specific evacuation plan with the assistance of fire officials. The audience can easily be fetched to a safe place without creating any panic (in case of emergency),” Anand said.
“We have also installed state-of-the-art equipment inside the premises and spent three percent of our budget on safety measures,” he said.
Ashish Shukla, spokesman of PVR Cinema, a chain of multiplex theatres, agreed: “We are adhering cent percent to safety measures, with latest fire-fighting equipment.
“We have taken great care that at no place any loose electric ends are left open and all sensitive places have been marked as no-smoking areas. All the green exit signs are backed up by a UPS so that they remain lit in the event of a power failure,” assured Shukla.
S.K. Chug, manager of Sangam Cinema in south Delhi, said: “We are following the safety measures prescribed by the fire department.”
However, moviegoers say they are unaware of any fire safety precautions in cinema halls.
“I don’t know if any of the cinema halls is equipped for a crisis where everyone is trying to get out. In big theatres, even on a normal day, there is only one channel open for exit after a show,” said Vinay Sharma, a college student.