New guidelines for use of glass in Nashik buildings

NASHIK: The major fire that broke out in a Mumbai high rise last week has led to the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI) bringing in three major changes in the use of glass in buildings.

A major blaze had broken out on the 21st floor of Lotus Business Park a little before noon on July 18 and 21 firemen got stranded on the rooftop for several hours even as civilians were evacuated. The fire was extinguished after more than six hours.

Jitendra Thakkar, president of CREDAI, said the use of laminated glass would henceforth be made mandatory in buildings. "At present, there is no check on the quality of glass used while constructing buildings, which raises safety issues. The glass can fall from a higher floor on a person, severely injuring or even killing him. Coated glass, which is also used in cars, may not cause as much damage or injury as it does not shatter easily, Thakar said.

"Secondly, an annual fire audit by a private company will be made compulsory and submit the certificate for the same to the concerned authorities," Thakkar said.

It will also be ensured that buildings have at least 30%-35% openings where glass is used to avert major crisis in case of emergencies, he added. At present, there are no civic norms on the use of glass or its quality that builders need to comply with.

There are around 400 such buildings in the city where glass has been used.

Sanjay Ghuge, executive engineer with the town planning department of the civic body, said there was no provision to seek a separate approval on the use of glass and fire department should look into the issue. "Glass is used in a building solely for decorative purposes and the department is, till date, concerned with assuring only the structural stability of the building. With the increase in the use of different quality of glass, such changes in rules will have to be made eventually," Ghuge said.

Chief fire officer Anil Mahajan said it was the duty of the town planning department to make necessary amendments in the rules. However, he added the fire department was ready to face such challenges. "Procurement of chemical suits, helmets, masks and other protective equipment is awaited; we will receive them in a month's time," he said.

Mahajan further said that the permissible height of buildings was 30m, and firemen can reach up to 32m. With more high-rise buildings up to 40 m coming up, a proposal for equipment to reach higher floors has also been made, Mahajan added.