Patna: The fire department will begin preparations for Durga Puja celebrations from Monday with officials starting the mapping of pandals across the district. The exercise will continue for about a week and focus on assessing the safety arrangements and accessibility of the pandals.District fire officer Abhishek Kumar said Puja committees would have to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the fire services headquarters. Committees have also been advised to prioritise fire and electrical safety while setting up the pandals.Puja pandals covering more than 300 square metres will require a fire safety certificate. The committees will also have to obtain a certificate from the electricity department as part of the required safety clearances.The department has made the deployment of volunteers at Puja pandals mandatory this year. The volunteers will be trained by fire department personnel to respond to emergencies and assist visitors until professional help arrives.Kumar said Puja committees setting up pandals larger than 5,000 square feet will also have to submit a declaration under Form D. Depending on the requirements at different locations, temporary control rooms will be established to coordinate emergency response during the celebrations, he added.“As part of the mapping exercise, fire officials will collect details about the condition of the pandals as well as the approach roads and access routes. The information will help the department assess whether fire tenders and other emergency vehicles can reach the sites without difficulty,” the district fire officer said.The department will also coordinate with its headquarters to arrange additional fire-fighting vehicles from other districts if required during the festive period.Around 550 Puja pandals were set up across Patna district last year. The fire department expects the number to remain around the same this year.
