High-rises flout safety norms

Several high-rises of Delhi, especially in and around Connaught Place and Karol Bagh, are at a high risk of turning into fire traps, Neelam Pandey reports.

Several high-rises of Delhi, especially in and around Connaught Place and Karol Bagh, are at a high risk of turning into fire traps.

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Approximately 800 odd high-rises have not got their fire safety certificates renewed, sources said. A number of these are very old structures -- some were constructed nearly 30 years back.

The Delhi Fire Services says it keeps informing the management of the buildings to get their certificates renewed but due to manpower crunch, it is unable to inspect all of them.

Approximately 3,000 high-rises buildings were constructed between 1986 and 2009 and by law they are only supposed to have in place the bare minimum safety standards in place to minimise the damage in case of a mishap.

“The list includes a water tank, proper access, hose-wheel, fire detection system, fire alarm, stand-by generators among others. They don’t need to conform to the new law,” said a Delhi Fire Services officer. After the Delhi Fire Services rules 2010 were framed, it became mandatory for these buildings too to get their certificates renewed every three years.