The new-look Mantralaya building will have a state-of-the-art firefighting system with alarms and sprinklers that would not only start mitigating fire but also prevent smoke from spreading.
The integrated fire management system involves a complicated work order, with around 2,000 items, most of them imported. The system envisions having doors that can withstand a big fire for two to three hours and prevent it from spreading to other rooms. The pressurised staircases will prevent smoke from flowing into the staircase corridor; smoke will be absorbed beneath the steps in case of any fire, so that people can walk down the staircase without confronting smoke.
The sprinklers will be activated at 68 degrees celcius, so that small water jets can control small fires. Alarm systems would activate and alert the control room in case of any incident. The hydrants with smoke-detection alarms and automatic alert system would enable mitigating fire at two levels. In addition to pressurised staircases, two extra escalators are provided for evacuating people in case of any emergency.
The Mantralaya makeover project costs Rs. 138 Crores and was begun on December 24, 2012.
It included total built-up area of 4.10 lakh square feet. Besides renovating the interiors, it involves strengthening the main building, adding a ten foot-wide new corridor with steel structure, and the addition of a 25,000 sq. ft seventh floor on the terrace.
All the lift shafts have been extended to the seventh floor. The Glass Space framework is bullet-proof. The interior finishing has plaster, gypsum, paint, flooring and false ceiling work, wooden flooring and wooden/fabric panelling along with exterior finishes (aluminium windows and aluminium composite panels.
The entire building will have a centralised air-conditioning system.
The building will have its own sewage treatment plant (basement and two storeys with 35,000 sq. ft). There will be grand steps at its entrance. The project also includes construction of substation and infrastructural development works which were included from time to time after the project commenced.
