Fire safety drive at shopping malls, commercial establishments in Kolkata ahead of Durga Puja

West Bengal fire and emergency services officials on Wednesday inspected several shopping malls in Kolkata and its fringes as part of a special fire-safety drive ahead of Durga Puja, when large crowds are expected to throng commercial establishments.

They visited renowned shopping outlets such as South City Mall, Mani Square and Westside Mall and carried out detailed audits of their fire-safety preparedness, an official said.

Similar inspections were also conducted at several malls on the fringes of the city, including those in Madhyamgram, as part of the drive.

Fire-safety checks intensified ahead of Durga Puja

"With the Durga Puja festival approaching, there will be a congregation of people at malls and other commercial establishments. We have undertaken a special drive to inspect their preparedness and fire-safety arrangements," a fire and emergency service department official said.

During the inspections, the officials checked fire extinguishers and other firefighting equipment, public address systems, including whether they were functional and within their validity period.

The inspections focused particularly on food courts and bars inside the malls. Officials also examined the approved building plans and checked whether emergency exits and evacuation routes were adequate and accessible in case of a fire or other emergency.

919 hotels and guest houses served closure notices

The move comes amid heightened scrutiny of fire-safety compliance following recent major fire incidents at hotels in Kolkata and Tarapith.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation and the fire department have also initiated action against guesthouses found lacking adequate fire-safety measures.

Temporary closure notices were served on 919 hotels and guest houses in Kolkata for failing to comply with mandatory fire safety norms.

The notices were issued after joint inspections by the state fire and emergency services department, the KMC and Kolkata Police, with only 41 of the 960 establishments inspected so far found to be compliant with the required fire safety measures, the officials said.

The inspection drive was intensified following the fire at Shikha Inn, a guest house on Mirza Ghalib Street in central Kolkata, in the early hours of August 19. Nine people, including seven Bangladeshi nationals, were killed in the blaze.

Drug stores checked for expired and spurious medicines

After stepping up inspections of restaurants and eateries over food safety violations, the authorities have now turned their attention to medicine shops.

Enforcement and Drug Control officials on Wednesday visited drug stores in the Burrabazar area in Kolkata to check for expired and spurious medicines.

They checked medicine batches and other details of products available at the shops to ascertain their validity and authenticity.

The action comes ahead of Durga Puja, when authorities have intensified inspections across Kolkata and its adjoining areas.

The inspection is aimed at ensuring that no expired or counterfeit medicines are sold to consumers in a busy commercial area such as Burrabazar, where people from different parts of the city and adjoining areas visit to purchase medicines, the officials said.