15 schools inspected, coaching centres next in DFS safety drive

The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) is set to identify and inspect coaching centres across the city which are violating fire safety norms, officials said on Sunday

The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) is set to identify and inspect coaching centres across the city which are violating fire safety norms, officials said on Sunday.

Department is looking for more private auditors to help in the inspections. (HT Archive)

The announcement comes after the DFS inspected 15 schools over the past three weeks as part of a fire safety compliance drive.

Officials said the department has decided to take up inspections of coaching centres amid a series of fire-related incidents involving such establishments in Delhi. The focus will be on centres that had previously applied for a fire safety clearance certificate but have not re-applied in recent years after either their no-objection certificates (NOCs) expired or their applications were rejected, officials said, adding that fresh applications are needed in both the cases.

However, the department is looking for more private auditors to help in the inspections.

A senior DFS officer said, “We will start with applications received from South Ex, Mukherjee Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Old Rajinder Nagar and Karol Bagh.”

Over the past weeks, DFS has inspected 60 educational, healthcare and hospitality establishments across the Capital. Of these, 15 were denied fire safety clearance, including nine educational institutions, officials said on Friday.

As per the findings, several lapses such as non-functional firefighting equipment, removed safety systems and blocked ventilation in buildings were found in the buildings.

The shortcomings included smoke management systems removed from basements, non-functional public address and fire alarm systems, and fire pumps that could not operate automatically. In some buildings, basement exhaust fans were blocked by fixed panels, fire-check doors had been removed and electrical shafts were left unsealed, officials said.

Senior DFS officers said several schools and training institutes had obtained clearances earlier but subsequently expanded their buildings or failed to maintain the prescribed safety measures. The department allegedly issued warnings, cancelled clearances where required and asked the managements concerned to take corrective action.

The inspections began after a coaching centre collapsed in Saidullajab in May this year, in which at least six people died and eight were injured. Earlier incidents, including fire at a coaching centre in Mukherjee Nagar in 2023, have also raised concerns over safety arrangements at such establishments.