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Jaipur Oil Tank Fire - Can we learn a lesson?November 10, 2009The massive oil depot fire that raged for days in Jaipur has dramatically but tragically illuminated the woefully inadequate fire service infrastructure in India. While conceding that the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) depot fire in Jaipur was prodigious by any standard, the routine fire accidents that occur on a daily basis reveal the institutional flaws in the entire fire protection capacity at a national level. The Fire ,the subject, its content and its power of devastation has been taken lightly, while investigations will take their time ,blame games will continue for ever ,the bottom-line, a beautifully city completely polluted, precious lives of near and dear ones gone , besides the time and energy spent on army, police, rescue missions, etc … call it what you may, but a 1000Cr Rupees( USD 200mill ) sunk and we can see it going in flames on our television sets, Being an issue evoking a non-committal response from society and the state in particular, fire protection has bred over the years a state of apathy among most Indians. The increasingly execrable conditions under which the Fire Services (FS) of the country struggle to fork out a sustained amount of minimum service today are stark but invisible. The problem is that, like in any other country, older installations are often not required to be upgraded to match the current standards, e.g. if you had bought a car 10 years ago, you are not (necessarily)required to retrofit it with the latest safety gadgets. The problem is with what is really necessary = should be mandatory for a safety retrofit and government authorities struggle with that determination as all incumbents scream that they cannot afford it.. Personally, I believe that all oil facilities should always be upgraded if they pose a public hazard by proximity. Tanks inside IOC facilities sufficiently far away from other people could be allowed to burn out. This was not the case in Jaipur and elsewhere in India. Thus the Oct 23 cabinet clearance of “a scheme of the Ministry of Home Affairs for strengthening of fire and emergency services to be implemented at an estimated cost of Rs.200 crore during the remaining period of the Eleventh Five Year Plan” is a much-delayed but welcome initiative. Within this scheme, fundamental issues like protection of life and property clearly need to be addressed. Recognizing fire protection as a fundamental right would benefit every citizen. Does anyone know that this is the size of fire safety industry in India, we just sunk one full industry in no more than a weeks time, but we will never wake up to the fact that “life is cheap” in India, that we are NOT a Safety and security conscious country, that we will put our personal interest before our safety, health and security, and that we consider spending money on safety equipment, training and education of people as an expense rather than investment. Strange our ways of country, we always view disaster as something which will never happen to us, because God is with us. After having spending so many years in this industry I sometimes feel that nothing can change our thinking in India, but nevertheless I don't loose hope, HOPE, that’s the only silver lining.... the only way to bring about a radical change is to teach our kids the priorities of life … first .Safety and health and then anything else, I am happy that institutions like Honeywell Life Safety & Fire Safety Association Of India is deeply involved in school program activities like teaching basics of life safety when impacted with fire threatening conditions, I HOPE some day we can change our thinking… With India aiming to be among the ranks of developed nations by 2020, heavy investment in R&D and the establishment of test laboratories conforming to national and international fire standards are a pre-requisite. Simultaneously, the insurance rules for fire protection for life, property, crops, manufacturing facilities and other assets clearly need to be instituted, as insurance remains a key multiplier for all related activities — thereby enabling them to become self-sustaining and reducing dependence on the government. India’s home secretary recently stated at a business seminar that $6 billion has been earmarked for strengthening homeland security. With homeland security thus engaging national attention in such a major way, fire protection can and must be developed as a key integral component of this much-needed but largely ignored national effort. The next big fire as in Jaipur and elsewhere of 2010 must see India better prepared. By: Mr Arun Khazanchi FSAI – Executive Board Member |
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