THEBUSINESSBYES
BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR,
SEPTEMBER 15, 2026
The Odisha government
on Tuesday launched a month-long special drive to inspect fire-safety
arrangements in major public and commercial buildings, including shopping
malls, hospitals and educational institutions, officials said.
The special
inspection campaign, which will continue till October 15, has been launched in
the wake of a major fire incident at a hotel in Delhi that claimed 23 lives,
they said.
As part of the drive,
surprise inspections will be carried out at public and commercial
establishments to assess compliance with prescribed fire-safety norms and
identify gaps in preparedness and safety infrastructure, officials said.
“Through the special fire safety review
campaign, Odisha Fire & Emergency Services is reviewing fire-safety
practices, identifying gaps and encouraging compliance to build safer, more
prepared communities across Odisha. Because a ‘Surakshita’ (safer) Odisha is
the foundation of a ‘Vikashita’ (developed) Odisha,” the department said in a
social media post.
Director General of
Fire Service Sudhanshu Sarangi said the inspection drive would cover
educational institutions, hospitals and shopping malls, among other major
establishments.
“New buildings have the required fire-safety
measures. The issue remains with old buildings. Such buildings need to have
active fire-safety systems to deal with possible fire incidents,” Sarangi said.
He said that if any
violation or deviation from the prescribed fire-safety norms is detected during
the inspections, a notice would be issued to the proprietor of the concerned
building.
The matter would also be brought to the notice of the concerned development authority for necessary action, he added.
The month-long campaign is aimed at strengthening fire preparedness, ensuring compliance with safety regulations and reducing the risk of loss of life and property in densely occupied public and commercial spaces across the state.
