Make security measures must in buildings: Citizens

PUNE: Over 15,000 citizens, including members of civic organizations and political parties, have asked the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to amend the draft Development Control (DC) rules to make security measures mandatory for new and existing buildings in the city in the wake of recent terror attacks.

The views were received through suggestions and objections to the draft Development Plan (DP) for old city areas.

“Pune is vulnerable to terrorist attacks. The state government’s suggestions, which recommend setting up security outposts, fulfilling fire safety requirements and constructing blast-resistant buildings among other things, need to be implemented. Neither the DP nor the DC rules suggest enough steps to meet these requirements,” stated a suggestion.

Following the blast at German Bakery in 2010, the PMC officials had said that the civic body would amend the DC rules making it mandatory for existing and new buildings to have security measures in place. However, no steps have been taken so far.

“Pune is no longer insulated from what’s happening around the world. First it was the attack on German Bakery and then multiple blasts happened on JM Road. Out city faces major security concerns. We insist that the PMC amends the draft DC rules and make required provisions to tackle such attacks on establishments and citizens,” said Rajya Sabha member and NCP city chief Vandana Chavan, adding that the NCP has incorporated this demand in its suggestions and objections document.

A few years back, the state government had appointed an expert committee under former principal secretary of the public works department M V Merani. The panel suggested certain regulations to be followed to ensure better safety in and around buildings. The special regulations envisage security outposts, approach roads with sufficient restraints to prevent direct movement of vehicles towards structures, a control room for security and electronic surveillance operations, light controls, fire-safety requirements and buildings with blast-resistant designs.

The Merani committee’s suggestions were discussed by party leaders in the PMC following German Bakery blast in 2010. One of the suggestions was to make it mandatory for developers to provide their own security set up and make it mandatory for them to submit a security plan with the building permission proposal.

A PMC official admitted that no concrete steps have been taken because the corporators and the civic administration have failed to reach any logical conclusion on the implementation mechanism to be followed.

“The panel appointed to hear suggestions and objections to DP should consider views that recommend improvement in security set up of the city. It is necessary to protect lives of common citizens,” said Ramesh Punde, a witness to blasts on JM Road last year.

City engineer Prashant Waghmare said, “The Merani committee’s suggestions are for public places. However, the PMC has already made it compulsory for housing societies to install CCTV cameras. The PMC will make every possible effort to ensure that security measures are incorporated in the draft DC rules. There are many logistics like cost and maintenance involved in making security measures mandatory and we have to work out the details.”

CCTV proposal still on paper

The PMC had recently approved amendments to DC rules making it mandatory to install 24×7 closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras at public places in the city. However, the PMC is struggling to implement the proposal. As per the proposal, shopping malls, market places, religious and historic structures, hotels, important tourist destinations, exclusive business buildings and offices of government and semi-government organisations would have to install CCTV cameras and make strctural changes to improve fire safety and security on their premises. The PMC has failed to work out implementation mechanism in this case.

Source: The Times of India

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