Gujarat orders crackdown on illegal buildings

Shaken out of stupor by the devastating fire at an illegal structure in Surat that claimed 22 lives, the Gujarat government on Sunday asked the builders of more than 9,000 properties in the state, including over 1,100 in the diamond city, to equip themselves with fire safety installations within three days or face closure. "It is a bad wake up call, but we will initiate strict action to ensure this does not happen again anywhere. We are very sad about the fire in Surat," Gujarat Chief Secretary J.N. Singh told reporters there. He said that notices have been issued to 9,965 properties in Gujarat and as many as 713 teams have been deployed for the purpose. Singh said between Saturday and Sunday, the authorities have sealed at least 50 properties in Surat for various violations of fire safety norms. As many as 1,123 properties in Surat have been issued notices by the authorities for adhering to the fire safety norms.