Rachit
Hello, everyone. I'm Rachit Neema, Market Manager from Lubrizol. I would like to welcome you all for the second episode of fireside chat 2.0. Today, we have with us, Mr. Haroon Siddique, who is Vice President and Head of MEP at Rustomjee Group. Welcome, sir.
Haroon
Thank you very much, Rachit,for providing this platform. To share our views and experiences, what wehave learned and what we are doing. And this type of interactions and thistype of shows helps us to shareour knowledge experiences and cascading to the designer community, consultants, and the end users.
Rachit
First, I would like to know a little bit about yourself from where you have started and how you have reached to this position.
Haroon
I started my career in India with a consultancy background and as a designer and with the renowned consultants and I worked few years in India. Then my most of the career year size and in the Middle East in Oman and Dubai. And then after Oman, I had comeback to Mumbai from last 8 years. I am in Mumbai and working with the Rustomjee group presently.
Rachit
Sir, I can gauge that you have a very vast experience. I would like you to tell us about few iconic projects which you have handled.
Haroon
I started my career in India. So I handled Novotel Cochin, which is one of the prestigious projects. Then Ananda Rishikesh, and the Indira Gandhi Open University, which was a horizontal development. In Dubai, I had worked on the Marriott Hotel, which was a twin tower, and 70 story building. At that point of time it was part of the Guinness Book of world records having the tallest hotel building. And after Dubai, I had come back to Oman and One project which is very close to my heart and I had learned a lot the internet like standards and the project management. That was the Oman International Airport that I completed. And after that, I shifted to Mumbai. And from last year 8 years, I had attended so many projects. And in South of Mumbai, the World One, World Crest, World view, all the 3 are part of the World 1 complex. Those I had handled. And in the Lalbaug area, lot of anesthesia I had handled. And currently, 1 of the iconic project having the 3 towers, 63 stories. Rustomjee Crown, I am handling now. And that is at the completion stage.
Rachit
I would like to understand from you. That while designing a system, what are the key parameters people keep in mind and experts should always consider while specifying the products and ensuring the people safety if incident happens in the future. With this also where you see that BlazeMaster fits in in solving that problem of system should work while there is a time of incident.
Haroon
In this contest, I want to emphasize that there are the 2 aspects of firefighting system in any building, high rise or low rise, any building. There are 2 aspects.1 aspect is common areas. And the backbone of the firefighting system, which are the risers, and the common lobby's various sprinklers are there. And the areas which are accessible to FM Team 24X7, which are under surveillance. There are cameras and the total system you can see. And this total firefighting system is based on the pressure switches. So any fire incident is immediately reported and the fire alarm activates. But the challenge we face in this thing, because common area is always under these some expert company and form we are getting submitted and they are checking. But practically to go to each and every flat, that is the restricted area where the customers are staying over there. So that is that critical area we are facing challenges. Because what happens if somebody purchases a flat and the flat the flat possession is done after the CFO inspections and all other formalities? And when he's doing the retrofitting, the interior designing of this. So just to accommodate these sprinklers, which are the lifeline of the fire protection system, that they used they try to relocate as per their intent. To overcome this challenge, we cannot always act like a police and just issuing the warning, you are not allowed to do this, and you have to comply this. Instead, we should have some innovation, we should have something which is innovative and which is compatible with their design intent, not compromising the safety. Because one thing I want to emphasize very strongly that if I am staying one flat and I am telling that I am the owner, I don't need to see this sprinkler and I am just blocking that spinner by putting a test plug over there. So it is not me. The fire hazard is for the whole tower. If you Because now the lifestyle has changed. Your refrigerator is on 24X7. If you are in US, UK, anywhere, if you are and one month leave or two month leave, your electricity is never off. The 24X7 hazard is there. So in this This new technologies and new innovations like CPVC pipes for the fire protection applications. NFP has done a lot of research over there. And they had they are certified that CPVC pipes can be used. The installation of CPVC pipe is easy. And the retrofitting of CPVC pipe is easy. So I request to infiltrate or cascade the installations and methodology, how to install it, and the speed of waiting or using this product
only during the retro fitting is not advisable. During the concept stage, this product can be considered and can be installed. So when the retrofitting is getting done, so that relocation and it will be easy for the customer.
Rachit
Okay. What I can guess 3 points from your input is that product should be compliant to the authorities and to the standards. It should perform at the time of incident and it is it should be in line to the ease of installation even after a building is handed over to the residence. I would like to tell you that the BlazeMasteris very well compliant with IS codes. It is a UL listed product, and it is very easy to install. Now, when you talked about and you emphasized about that OEM should take the responsibility and create the awareness about the product. We are again very happy to say that we have a certification program wherein we ensure that the installers are certified with nitty-gritty of how to install BlazeMaster, what are the do's and don'ts. And this is a free of cost service which are readily available on our website, even if somebody requests us, we do it in in physical modes also. I would also like to understand from you that in 2 aspects, 1 is from realtor or builder side and 1 is from designer side. How a builder or a realtor see when a new technologies installed introduced to him, whether they are ready to adapt it or they have some resistance and the same for designer or fighter meeting whether they are ready to adopt the new technology or they resist to adopt a new technology.
Haroon
In that 1 thing, what I had experienced, and which is a reality everybody knows, the India is very receptive with the new idea. In our case, there is no problem with the developers or the designers. This is the responsibility of OEMs. To give us the product, which is trustworthy. And the first installation is easy because we have a full project team. We have the big contactors. We have the big designers and the challenges comes when it comes to the operational and functional method.
Rachit
Now I would like to understand from you. That we as the technology owners of BlazeMaster, we ensure that the product is installed properly . We do site audits, we do the separate audits, we also help builders to ensure that the installation is properly happening on the site. How you see this is it enough and sufficient or use want us to take more participation in ensuring that the products are right and they are solving the purpose and they will save the life at the time of incidence?
Haroon
You should not be a trader. You should involve in the designer. You first have to sit with the designer. Okay. What is your pressure chart inside the apartment? At the upper floors, at the lower floors. And with that respect, that only because hand product is yours. If product fails. everybody will say this CPVC if I fails. But in the back end, how the MEP consultant had designed that, and what is the pressure, and how it is tested, it is not there. So then in the backbone, how the PRVs has to stall, So that I I'm not asking OEMs to design and do something which is not practical and which is not their domain. Because till this product is familiarized in the firefighting. Water supply, it is absolutely working very fine. And I hope for firefighting also, it will take that place with in very quickly. As I mentioned earlier also, we Indian market is very receptive. And the market which the CPVC pipe OEMs are pushing to implement this. It is good also, and soon it will be become a norm to use this because of the flexibility in the installation. But you need to check the installations, and you have to have the random audits, how it is testing. Installation is in one part, but it should not be over tested It should be optimum. In that you should have audits and you should certify the building that we had done the audit, testing is done perfectly. So that is my take up.
Rachit
It was very insightful. The inputs and the experience which you have shared with us, which will definitely going to help us. Now no more serious discussion, let's move to Blaze Chat. So are you ready? Yeah. I am ready. Okay.So what you'll prefer? Delhi or Mumbai?
Haroon
Difficult question. Delhi is my Mahabhth. Mumbai is my ulfad.
Rachit
.Okay. What is the one thing you miss about Dubai?
Haroon
Obviously there Dirhams. And on serious note, While working in Dubai, you work with so many nationalities, so many countries ,I have so many friends over there. that international cosmopolitan atmosphere, I miss.
Rachit
Okay. Love or art. What you'll prefer?
Haroon
” I will prefer art with love.
Rachit
Thank you so much. Now I would like you to conclude our conversation in your own way.
Haroon
Thanks, Rachit Thanks Lubrizol Team, And I remember few line on this.
Sheher ke andhero ke liye ek hi chirag Kaafi hai,
Sau chirag jalenge, One Chirag jalane se.
We are using CPVC very frequently in water supply systems so that exists there.
Rachit
Will that be a BlazeMaster?
Haroon
Hope. And are still using CPVC very frequently in water supply systems so that exists there. And there is a need of just making it common and make it useful in Fire safety Industry. So definitely in the coming years, we will see BlazeMaster will make it happen.
Rachit
Thanks you so much Sir, for joining us. Having you with us was a previllage. And we would like to say Thanks You from the bottom of our hear.
Stay tuned for the next episode of Fire Site at 2.O.
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