NEW DELHI: Delhi Fire Services has identified around 100 residential buildings in Dwarka whose fire no-objection certificate (NOC) has expired, some even in 2020.
The drive follows the tragic incident in Feb in which an 83-year-old woman died and her granddaughter was injured after jumping off their fourth-floor apartment to escape a fire. The fire department claimed that the building’s NOC had expired and the safety equipment was not in working condition.
The buildings with the expired NOCs are located in sectors 1-2, 4-7, 9-12, 15, 17, 18A, 19, 22-23, Dwarka Mor and others. DFS has sent notices to the residents welfare associations (RWAs) of 26 buildings over the non-renewal of NOCs . “We will send notices to all RWAs soon,” an official said. DFS may carry out a similar NOC verification drive in other districts in future, said another official.
According to officials, residential buildings are more susceptible to fires than other structures as various items, such as electrical equipment and gas cylinders, used in a house can trigger fire. Electrical malfunctions (short-circuits) and gas leaks from cylinders can both ignite fire.
DFS director Atul Garg said residential buildings over 15 metres high required a fire NOC, which would stay valid for five years. “Before issuing an NOC, we request the individual concerned to submit the building plan,” he explained. “Our team then visits the building to verify the installation of the equipment and confirm that necessary fire safety modifications have been implemented. Only then is the NOC granted.”
Most fire calls come from residential buildings, said Garg, emphasising the need for keeping fire safety equipment readily available at these places. “Such equipment help in initial fire control before fire trucks arrive on the scene,” he clarified. “If fire engines cannot reach a location immediately, fire safety equipment can be instrumental in assisting firefighters in extinguishing the flames.”
DFS received 15,610 fire-related calls in 2023, 4,483 of them residential. While 59 people died, 689 were rescued, the data reveals. In 2022, 4,177 residential fires were reported. Till Jan this year, firefighters had dealt with 528 cases of residential fires.
