JAISALMER: Following the tragic fire incident at a hotel in the national capital, Delhi, the administration in the world-famous tourist destination of Jaisalmer has gone into alert mode.Keeping in mind the safety of domestic and international tourists, the Jaisalmer Municipal Council on Friday launched a special fire safety inspection drive across hotels and commercial establishments in the city.During the surprise inspections, widespread violations of safety regulations were detected in several hotels.Inspection teams have so far issued show-cause notices to nearly three dozen hotels for failing to comply with fire safety norms and for not possessing valid Fire No Objection Certificates (NOCs), triggering concern among hotel operators.Chief Fire Officer Krishna Pal Singh Rathore said that a special Municipal Council team is conducting detailed inspections of fire-fighting systems in hotels across Jaisalmer.The inspections have revealed alarming findings. Around 20 to 30 hotels have been thoroughly examined so far, but only 5 to 7 were found to have valid fire NOCs and adequate fire safety arrangements. Most of the remaining hotels were found to be putting the lives of tourists at risk.The Fire Officer issued a stern warning, stating that hotels lacking functional fire-fighting systems, emergency exits, and smoke alarm systems have been served notices and directed to immediately rectify the deficiencies.He further explained that the law provides for the issuance of first, second, and third notices to violators. If hotel operators continue to ignore safety requirements even after three warnings, strict legal action will be taken in accordance with state government guidelines, including sealing of the establishments.The administration’s tough stance has created panic among operators of non-compliant hotels.Municipal Commissioner Lajpal Soudha stated that in view of the increasing number of fire-related incidents, all hotels, guest houses, restaurants, bars, rooftop restaurants, petrol pumps, gas filling stations, educational institutions, government and private hospitals, nursing homes, and industrial units operating in Jaisalmer have been instructed to ensure compliance with fire safety norms.He emphasized that installation of fire-fighting equipment in accordance with Part 4 of the National Building Code (NBC) 2016 is mandatory to ensure fire prevention and protection and to effectively minimize the risk of fire accidents.The Commissioner also directed owners of all commercial establishments to install the required fire safety equipment and obtain a Fire No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Jaisalmer Municipal Council.He warned that failure to comply would invite action under Section 337 of the Rajasthan Municipalities Act, 2009, as per the prescribed rules and regulations.
