The New Indian Express 01.10.2010
‘Urbanisation calls for better fire safety'
CHENNAI: The need of the hour following the mushrooming number of highrise buildings, a prominent feature of rapid urbanisation, was better fire safety and security measures, felt former State chief secretary and Chief Information Commissioner (CIC), KS Sripathi.Inaugurating a seminar on 'Engineering a safe and secure India', organised by Fire and Security Association of India's (FSAI) Chennai chapter, here on Thursday, Sripathi said Tamil Nadu had witnessed urbanisation at a rapid pace than any state in the country. "More than 50 per cent of the State's population live in urban areas."
He said that rapid urbanisation in Chennai for the past 20 years had led to new roads, highways and many buildings, besides huge multiplexes and shopping malls. The CIC regretted that the major issue of fire safety and security in the new facilities had, however, failed to evoke adequate response from the stakeholders.
Gopal Srinivasan, CMD, TVS Capital Funds Ltd, was among those who participated in the inauguration of the seminar.
