New Delhi: A few months after multiple fire tragedies left dozens dead in the city, Delhi govt has tightened fire-safety checks by amending the related rules, which seek to end duplication of work between the fire department and the building plan sanctioning authorities.
Officials said the revised rules sought to clearly demarcate the responsibilities of the fire department and the building-plan sanctioning authority. “Earlier, fire officers were also checking several structural parameters,” an official said. “As a result, the fire authority would sometimes raise objections or deny a fire NOC over structural parameters as well,” he added.
These parameters included the prescribed width of corridors and staircases and other building-plan specifications. The revised rules empower the director of Delhi Fire Service to require owners or occupiers to install additional fire-prevention and safety measures wherever necessary. Such directions will have to be supported by reasons recorded in writing. For buildings or occupancies for which the building bylaws do not prescribe specific fire-safety measures, the director may ask for safety arrangements based on international standards.