Reposted from the Times of India

Poor fire preparedness and lack of maintenance of the Government Museum, Egmore that houses artefacts worth crores of rupees, continue to threaten the grand old structure.

A recent reality check by TOI found that at least two fire extinguishers have not been refilled for nearly 10 months. Though the authorities insisted that the artifacts were safe due to elaborate safety measures in place, the country’s second oldest museum does not have any internal guidelines to be followed in case a fire breaks out. Sources confirmed to TOI that the museum did not have any standard operating procedure (SOP) to be pursued during emergencies. 

  The dry chemical powder (DCP) fire extinguisher installed on the ground floor of the anthropology department was past the expiry date as the label on it read. It was due to be refilled in September 2017. The DCP fire extinguisher on the first floor that houses bronze idols was to be refilled almost 10 months ago but nothing has been done.

S Vijaykumar, co-founder of Singapore-based India Pride Project which is working for the retrieval of stolen idols from India, said security at the museum was confined to preventing people from taking photographs on mobile phones. “Other important aspects such as fire safety and emergency evacuation seem non-existent. Further, the system of CCTV camera surveillance needs to be upgraded. Considering the poor light, the existing cameras are unlikely to produce any clear video feed,” he said.

When contacted, Pinky Jowel, the director (in-charge) of the museum, said an annual mock drill for fire safety was conducted at the museum. “Officials have been asked to frame guidelines for internal safety and security,” she said.

It does not stop at safety issues. The grand old buildings cry for renovation and proper maintenance. Cracks have started appearing on different parts of the structures that have been functioning since 1851. The unchecked growth of vegetation in several parts of the campus indicates a sorry state of upkeep by the authorities concerned.

Making do with meager grant from the government for annual maintenance, the British-era museum is in dire need of funds. Of the ?10 crore earmarked for the department of museums, the grandiose facility gets ?40 lakh for maintenance by the public works department (PWD). “We do not have trained engineers. Hence, the maintenance is carried out by the PWD,” an official said. 

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