The Man-Made Textile Research Association (MANTRA) Surat and the Federation of Surat Textile Traders Association (FOSTTA) will work together to launch an energy and fire audit campaign for textile trade businesses in more than 110 textile markets that are older than 30 years. The action comes after the Shiv Shakti Textile Market on Ring Road suffered a tragic fire.
It took 38 hours for the Shiv Shakti Market fire to be contained. An estimated Rs 500 crore was damaged. According to preliminary investigations, an electric short circuit caused the fire to start. Now, MANTRA and FOSTTA will launch a campaign to stop similar fire accidents in other historic textile markets on Ring Road.
According to FOSTTA president Kailash Hakim, FOSTA and MANTRA will endeavour to raise awareness among textile traders about energy and fire audits in order to prevent fires. Additionally, MANTRA has been investigating the usage of electricity in textile shops and factories as well as textile textiles.
During an energy and fire audit, engineers visit a location to determine the number of installed electrical appliances, the types of wires used for the electricity supply, and whether the wires are sufficient for the amount of electricity being used at the moment. An inspection is followed by the preparation of a report.
Regular energy and fire safety audits are carried out by large corporations and factories. The capacity of the equipment and the number of devices in use are detailed in audit reports. Additionally, reports mention malfunctioning equipment and those that require replacement. Units typically save 10 to 15 percent on their electricity bills as a result of audits. Savings can reach 25 per cent in certain circumstances.
According to the president of FOSTTA, shops and businesses must conduct energy and fire audits because their demand has grown in recent years.
