Fire-safety drives at residential high-rises in Gzb

Ghaziabad's fire department is launching safety awareness drives at residential high-rises following a recent fire, with training on fire safety equipment planned.

Ghaziabad: The Ghaziabad fire department on Saturday launched fire-safety awareness drives and inspections at all residential high-rises in the district, officials said.

Fire officers conduct a mock drill at Shipra Neo in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad on Saturday (Sakib Ali / HT)

The action follows Wednesday’s fire at Gaur Green Avenue, which gutted eight flats and damaged several others. Ten people were rescued in the fire, which affected about 60 residents.

Chief fire officer Rahul Pal told HT on Saturday that over the next 7-10 days, teams from each fire station will train residents, maintenance staff, and others in their respective areas on using basic fire safety equipment, such as fire extinguishers and alarm systems.

According to official estimates, the district has about 650 high-rises, of which about 450 are residential.

“Daily awareness sessions are ongoing at these high-rises. Our teams are also inspecting and serving notices over encroachments at parks, parking spaces and religious structures. Unauthorised structures and encroachment pose serious issues for the movement of fire tenders and hamper firefighting efforts, as seen in the Gaur Green Avenue fire,” the CFO added.

HT reported on May 2 that nearly 52 residential high-rises in Ghaziabad face court cases for non-compliance with fire safety norms, while 139 others—of which about 80% are residential—have been served notices by the fire department.

According to the department’s data, fire incidents in Ghaziabad have steadily surged over the years. The district recorded 921, 1,103, 1,068, 1,607, and 1,437 fires in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, respectively. Between January 1 and April 29 this year, 580 cases have been recorded.

The CFO added that a team formed by district magistrate Ravinder Kumar Mandar was scheduled to visit the Gaur Green Avenue fire site for inspection on Saturday and a comprehensive report will be submitted to the district magistrate in three days.

The team is headed by the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) secretary and includes the chief fire officer and officials from the electrical safety department.

Meanwhile, Deepanshu Mittal, a social-activist and a resident of Raj Nagar Extension, told HT: “Apart from the awareness drives, the fire department should also check the fire equipment at the high-rise and its functional status. Further, the majority of fires occur during summer and the festival season after the monsoon. So, the drives must be conducted well before these two seasons begin.”

Mohan Sangwan, a resident of Shakti Khand in Indirapuram, said those responsible for non-functional fire-safety equipment should also be taken to task. “The fire NOC for high-rises should be provided only after strict checks, and equipment should be checked for quality and adherence to norms. The fire department must conduct regular and random inspections and take strict action if norms are violated or equipment is found non-functional,” Sangwan said.