The Delhi High Court has directed ITC Ltd to ensure that statutory provisions relating to public safety were complied with at its hotel in Dwarka from where Indian cricketer M S Dhoni and others were rescued after a blaze at a mall in the same complex last year.
It said fire safety measures are required to be put in place for protection and safety of hotel users and a building, which needed fire clearance, cannot be used without the requisite certificate.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said that existence of a petrol pump in close proximity of Dwarka's five-star WelcomHotel made it more essential that all fire safety norms and requirements were strictly adhered to by these buildings.
The court was hearing a PIL which alleged that the hotel, being operated by ITC in Sector-10 in Dwarka, did not have the requisite fire safety certificate and the earlier certificate was suspended on account of gross violations by the hotel.
The petition filed by Dwarka-resident Abhishek Sehrawat, who claims to be a social activist, alleged that there was violation of building bye-laws and the hotel had virtually blocked all areas which could be used for emergency evacuation in case of fire or any other disaster.
Advocate Shivam Bajaj, appearing for the petitioner, placed before the bench a site plan of the area, where the hotel is located, which showed that it is bounded by Pinnacle Mall on one side and a petrol pump on the other.
The mall and the petrol pump share common boundary walls with the hotel on two sides, the plea said.
The court noted that the photographs placed on record would manifest the petitioner's contention that passages to and from the hotel and the mall were integrated and common spaces in the hotel and the mall completely stood covered with stalls leaving no place for evacuation in case of a fire.
The petitioner apprised the court of a major fire which took place there in March last year, and claimed that the hotel did not even have fire alarms.
The court directed the builder, ITC and Pinnacle Mall to ensure that the premises of WelcomHotel were utilised after strict compliance of all statutory provisions especially those relating to public safety.
It also directed the Delhi government, Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Development Authority, South Delhi Municipal Corporation and Delhi Police to ensure that the builder and the hotel do not violate the statutory provisions.
Dhoni, Dinesh Kartik and other cricketers were among over 600 persons rescued from the Dwarka hotel in March last year after a blaze was reported in the mall in the same complex.
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