Visakhapatnam: Next time you plan on going out for a movie with your family, chew on this: most of the theatres in the city have not renewed their No-Objection Certificates ( NOCs ) that they were issued by the fire safety department.The flagrant disregard for fire safety has come to light in the wake of the devastating blaze that tore through the Srikanya Cine Complex in the busy Gajuwaka area of the city on Monday.However, the apathy is not limited to the city alone: most theatres across both the Telugu states are highly lax when it comes to complying with fire safety norms, say fire wing officials.There are around 2,000 cinema theatres, including multiplexes, in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and many do not follow fire safety fitness tests. Many of them also lack the requisite equipment to fight fires. The three north-Andhra districts have around 180 theatres in 50 centres (towns and cities). Visakhapatnam district alone has around 80 theatres in 15 centres, sources said.As per sources working in theatre managements, there are around 400 theatres in Krishna, Guntur and Nellore districts While Vizag, East and West Godavari districts have another 400 theatres. Anantapuram, Kadapa and Kurnool are having around 300 theatres. More than 60% of the theatres do not have NOCs as most of them have not gone for renewal, sources said.When it comes for no-objection certificates for mandatory renewal, most of the theatres are taking a step backward, sources in the fire department said. The theatre managements’ association had obtained a GO for NOCs after allegedly lobbying with the government in erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh in 2010 and got the GO, which fixed renewal once in every three yearsFollowing the Srikanya theatre’s fire mishap, all attention is now on fire safety at theatres. The port city has 26 theatres and another six multiplex theatres. Interestingly, out of 26 theatres, 24 got NOCs in 2010. But when the renewal was fixed for every three years, many theatres have not come forward for renewal. Neither the managements are conducting fire safety mock drills nor are they maintaining equipment properly, sources said.“We have issued notices to 10 theatres out of 26. They got NOCs earlier, but after three years renewal period was over they have not come for renewal. The state disaster response and fire services wing will issue NOC for only one year for structures above 15 m in height. The GVMC fire prevention wing will give clearance for structures below 15 m in height for a period of three years,” said E Swamy, regional fire safety officer in GVMC.He further said there was no possibility of involving the public in safety tests, as the public was disinterested in mock drills during screening of movies. He said they have proposed one year renewal for NOC and the file is with the government. “So far, we have focussed on schools and hospitals. Now, we will focus on theatres and conduct checking two to three theatres every month,’ he said.Two theatres in Bheemili, one at Madhurawada, theatre at Dondaparti and a theatre at Railway station area, besides others have not renewed. The district fire officer Ram Prakash said that six multiflexes would come under their jurisdiction and five have got the NOCs. “If we conduct mock drill at every six months, it would be good for the safety of the public and also the property,’ he opined.

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