The Hindu : Skyscrapers playing with fire

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 15, 2003

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Other States - New Delhi

Skyscrapers playing with fire

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI APRIL 14. At least 68 high rise buildings in the Capital, quite a number of them being in major commercial hubs, do not have the No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Delhi Fire Service (DFS). Nine of them do not comply with even three of the required 12 parametres on the basis of which a NOC is issued.

Among 52 such private buildings, 29 are located at Nehru Place in South Delhi.

Nehru Place is followed by Rajendra Place in Central Delhi which has nine buildings not having NOCs. Azad Bhawan on Aurobindo Marg, Milap Bhawan on Bahadurshah Zafar (BSZ) Marg, DLF Shopping Complex at Greater Kailash, Asha Deep on Hailey Road, Surya Kiran Building on K.G. Marg, New Delhi House on Barakhamba Road, Indian Express Building on BSZ Marg and Dakshneshwar on Hailey Road are other private buildings which do not possess the NOC.

In addition to the private buildings, autonomous bodies like Foreign Post Office on Kotla Road, Vallabh Bhai Patel Chest Institute in Delhi University's North Campus, Jeevan Vihar on Parliament Street, USSR Building on Ferozshah Road and Golden Jubilee Hall of Pusa Institute also do not possess the requisite fire safety apparatus. Manak Bhawan, which houses the Bureau of Indian Standards, located on BSZ Marg, is also on the list.

Another eight areas, listed as local bodies, which do not have NOCs comprise market complexes as well as an entire market. They include Mohan Singh Place on Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Akbar Bhawan, Yashwant Place and Chanakya Bhawan -- both located in Chanakyapuri, Super Bazar in Connaught Place and Ghaffar Market in Karol Bagh. Even the Administration Block of Hindu Rao Hospital in North Delhi does not have the NOC from the fire department.

While the DFS maintained that compliance of fire safety norms was better in government buildings as compared to private buildings, the M.S. building, Northern Railway Flats and Rail Niwas -- located around New Delhi Railway station, also do not have the NOC.

There are a set of 12 parameters, including stipulations on width of approach roads, water storage capacity, automatic sprinkler systems, public address systems and proper "Exit'' signs, which the buildings should clear before they are given the NOC.

Out of the 52 private buildings, sealing notices were issued by the DFS to at least nine. However, all of them approached the High Court which gave them a 45-day period to get their fire safety apparatus in place. The period ends on April 15.

These buildings -- again most of them located in Nehru Place -- are expected to file affidavit in the court about the progress they have made in connection with fire safety. The DFS would carry out an inspection and take further action accordingly.

All these buildings, most of them located in Nehru Place, did not conform to even three parameters of the required 12.

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