Nod for Haleem bhattis only after inspections

Secunderabad: Zonal Commissioner for Secunderabad zone Raghu Prasad held a meeting with Haleem makers, deputy commissioners, AMOHs and the officials of veterinary, town planning and fire departments to discuss safety and health aspects of Haleem making, in view of the upcoming Ramzan season, here at his office on Wednesday.

Speaking at the meeting, Raghu Prasad urged the GHMC officials to inspect the hotels and the location of 'bhatti' (brick and mud ovens used for preparing Haleem) before giving permission to hotels. As the intense heat generated from bhattis can damage the building walls, bhattis should not be build within the hotel buildings or top floors, he said.

He cautioned the officials to take the issue seriously, as it could lead to serious accidents, as witnessed in the case of City Light Hotel a few years ago. Permissions for bhattis should be given only after thoroughly inspecting the premises and the buildings, he said. GHMC officials should ensure that City Light Hotel incident is not repeated, he said.

As many as 17 people were killed in the City Light Hotel, which collapsed due to the heavy bhattis placed in the building, which impacted the structure of the building. The accident happened in 2013.