Hyderabad: Workshops in basement space pose threat to residents in city

Hyderabad: In the city, most vehicle showrooms and workshops run in complexes in residential areas without following proper safety norms. The basements of the complexes are entirely occupied with motorbikes which is posing a threat to the residents.

Residents in various colonies are concerned over safety and urged the Municipal corporation and police to shift them from residential areas and not to give permission to run commercial and workshops in complexes and basements to ensure any untoward accident.

In recent times, several fire accidents have been reported in the city due to lack of safety precautions, whereas, last year, eight people died and several were injured in Secunderabad due to a fire that broke out in an e-bike showroom which was running in the basement with no safety precautions.

According to residents, the threat can also occur in motorbikes which contain batteries, petrol, and oil. Moreover, the major reason they pointed out that the showroom's service centre/workshops are running in complex's basements and would have dozens of vehicles which can pose a danger as these centres lack safety.

Asif Hussain Sohail, a member of the Surya Nagar Colony Welfare association in Shaikpet, said that most of the showroom's workshops are located in by-lanes, colonies, and other residential areas, which is turning a life threat to the residents. "These workshops in the basements have 15-20 vehicles; however, no safety precautions were taken by the owners. To ensure safety, the Municipal corporation must act and ensure that they follow the norms," he added.

He said, "However, no incident was reported with the 2-wheelers till now, but it can pose a risk. As most of these workshops are bursting with several vehicles in service centres in the basements. If an incident occurs, with the battery, petrol, oil, it may spread fast which is a threat to the residents," pointed Asif Hussain.

Venkatramna, a resident of Moosarambagh said that few bike showrooms are located on the main road in Malakpet – Moosarambagh stretch, but these company service centres and workshops are in the basements of the complexes in the colony. "Now-a-days the vehicles are upgraded with electric and technology. Even the petrol bikes are fully electric and these bike workshops or a service centre must have safety norms that should be followed by them to avoid any untoward incident," he added.

Such workshops are in several areas across the city. The colony association members said that the basements are for the parking of vehicles, but these basements are utilised for vehicle workshops. It also lies on the property owners to ensure safety and not to allow for workshops in complexes or a safety norm are followed.

Moreover, the residents in various colonies blamed that they are daily dealing with these workshops located in their colonies. Starting from narrow roads in the area, congestion, parking issues, and life threat due to no safety norms.