FOLLOWING the deaths of 15 students in a fire at a coaching center in Lucknow, inspections were conducted at coaching centers in Bhilai-Durg. On Wednesday night, a joint team comprising of SDRF and the police conducted surprise inspections. Notices were issued to 62 coaching centers for lacking emergency exits and essential safety arrangements. They have been given 24 hours to rectify these deficiencies. Meanwhile, Rama Coaching, CAD Academy Motion, Motion Kota Study Circle and Vedantu were sealed due to serious negligence. It may be noted that around 150 to 200 coaching centers and tutorial institutes operate in Durg district. The highest concentration of these centers is in New Civic Center area of Bhilai, where over 100 coaching centers are known to be operational. On Wednesday, the SDRF and police team inspected the coaching centers for about two hours. Not a single center was found to be fully compliant with safety standards. Most centers lacked adequate fire safety arrangements. In some instances, fire extinguishers were found to be expired, while in others, they had not been installed correctly.

 

The team also checked for emergency exits but found no alternative escape routes in any of the institutes; in many places, there was only a single entry and exit point for the building. Staircases in narrow passages; jumping is the only option in an emergency. During inspection, the SDRF team issued onthe-spot notices to 62 coaching center operators. They have been given a 24-hour deadline to rectify safety-related deficiencies. Officials have made it clear that action will be taken if the necessary arrangements are not improved within the stipulated time. Notices have been served to most coaching centers operating in New Civic Center area. Also Bhilai Municipal Corporation team conducted inspection on Thursday morning. BMC Commissioner stated that it is mandatory for all coaching and educational institutes operating in the city to comply with prescribed safety standards. Since any negligence could endanger students’ lives, all institutes must provide the required safety-related information within the stipulated timeframe and ensure that necessary safety arrangements are in place.