MANOJ KUMAR JENA, OP
Bhubaneswar: The recent nightclub fire in Goa, which claimed 25 lives and shocked the nation, has triggered serious concern over fire safety standards in clubs, hotels and restaurants across Odisha. This raises a critical question: Are the Smart City’s hospitality establishments adhering to safety norms to prevent such tragedies? To explore this, Orissa POST spoke with hotel and pub owners as well as the Fire Service DG, who shared their views on the current fire safety protocols.
Managing Director of One Peg Down (OPD) club and restaurant, Sai Prakash, said, “We have been following all fire safety measures since the club opened. Sprinklers and fire extinguishers are installed on every floor and along the emergency exit route. We also ensured the use of non-combustible materials during construction to minimise the risk of fire accidents.” Prakash further noted that the Goa incident may have been aggravated by the interior materials used in the club, which likely fuelled the flames and caused the fire to spread rapidly before many victims could escape.
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CEO of Lyfe Hotels, Bhubaneswar, and Secretary General of the Hotel & Restaurant Association of Odisha (HRAO), Dhiman Mazumdar, said that hotels are strictly adhering to fire safety standards prescribed by the state fire department. “All hoteliers are paying special attention to fire safety measures. We are following every guideline issued by the state government and the fire department. In fact, the government holds periodic review meetings with hoteliers to assess fire safety protocols and offer necessary guidance,” he added.
State Fire Services DG Sudhanshu Sarangi said, “All major hotels, restaurants and clubs under our jurisdiction are complying with fire safety protocols. We are now identifying other establishments that may not be following the norms. It will take 10 to 15 days to receive a report on unsafe hotels and clubs. Smaller places like stalls are not required to meet the same criteria as big hotels, but we are checking them as well. A hotel, pub or restaurant receives certification to operate only after meeting the fire department’s safety standards.”
According to the state fire and emergency services department, fresh guidelines have been issued, and a review process has been initiated for all hotels, restaurants and malls across Odisha to assess their fire safety compliance. Action will be taken against any establishment found violating the norms. The exercise was launched immediately after the Goa fire incident.
