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The tragic events at a children’s hospital in Delhi and a gaming zone in Rajkot have claimed 34 lives, bringing into focus the state of safety standards nationwide and the urgent need for robust enforcement measures to avert such tragedies.
In East Delhi's children’s hospital, a fire broke out on Saturday night, tragically claiming the lives of seven newborns. While the cause of the fire remains unconfirmed, locals have raised concerns about “illegal refilling of cylinders on the first floor of the hospital building.”
Meanwhile, in Rajkot, the fire at the gaming zone was attributed to an electrical short circuit. The indoor gaming facility, housed within a steel-fabricated shed spanning three storeys, 50 metres in width, and 60 metres in length, resulted in the deaths of 27 people.
What are the fire safety norms in India?
Fire safety regulations in India, as outlined in the National Building Code (NBC), published by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in 1970 and updated in 2016, provide comprehensive guidelines for construction, maintenance, and fire safety protocols in buildings. Additionally, fire services in India fall under state jurisdiction and are delineated as a municipal function, with state governments tasked with enforcing fire prevention measures through legislation such as the State Fire Services Act and building bylaws.
The ‘Model Building Bye Laws 2016’, issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, offers guidance to states and Union Territories (UTs) in formulating building bylaws to address fire protection and safety requirements. Furthermore, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) mandates specific fire safety criteria for public structures like hospitals, encompassing provisions for open safety spaces, evacuation procedures, and dedicated staircases and evacuation drills.
A study by the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) underscores that “lack of planning and poor implementation of norms in urban areas is a major reason behind increasing fire risks as it leads to the formation of informal settlements and over-densification.” In several cases, these informal settlements, excluded from the purview of building bylaws and planning regulations, are developed without any consideration for fire safety. With the increasing urban slum population, this has become a matter of concern, the study reveals.
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What are the specific codes?
Under the framework of the National Building Code (NBC), achieving absolute fire safety may be deemed impracticable, but the Code delineates specific measures essential for fire prevention and mitigation.
The Code outlines zoning regulations governing building construction. For instance, residential areas, educational institutions, and other similar establishments are classified under Fire Zone 1, aimed at preventing the juxtaposition of industrial or hazardous structures with residential and commercial buildings.
These regulations extend to various building types, including high-rises, special-purpose structures like hotels and educational institutes, businesses, storage, and industrial buildings, where any of the structures have a floor area more than 500 square metres on any one or more floors; assembly buildings; buildings with an area more than 300 square metres of incidental assembly occupancy on any floor; and those with two basements or more, or with one basement of area more than 500 square metres.
“Non-combustible materials should be used for the construction of buildings, and the internal walls of staircase enclosures should be of brickwork, reinforced concrete, or any other material of construction with a minimum of a 120 min rating,” the Code mandates.
The NBC also advocates for fire-resistant electrical installations, recommending flame-retardant wiring and metal conduit for medium- and low-voltage wiring within shafts and false ceilings. Additionally, it mandates separate shafts for electric distribution cables and wiring, sealed with fire-stop materials, ensuring compartmentalisation of fire hazards.
The Code also emphasises proper earthing for metallic elements like steel structural members.
Fire incidents: Alarming statistics
Recent data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) underscores the gravity of fire-related incidents. Over the past two years, 3,375 fire incidents were reported in India, with electrical short circuits being a predominant cause. Shockingly, commercial building fires claimed 330 lives in 2019 alone, while residential fires led to 6,329 fatalities nationwide.
Data from the Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India (ADSI) further highlights the severity of the issue, with an average of 35 fire-related deaths occurring daily between 2016 and 2020. The number of people dying in the incidents was 16,900 in 2016 and 9,110 in 2020.
Maharashtra and Gujarat collectively accounted for 30 per cent of fire-related fatalities, with electrical faults, human negligence, and ill-formed habits cited as primary causes, according to the report.
The data further suggests that fire accidents continue to cause heavy casualties, with no lessons learnt from the 1997 Uphaar Cinema tragedy or the Kumbakonam fire that killed 90 children in 2004.
Around 83,872 fire incidents were recorded in India during 2014–2018, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of States, NCRB.
Challenges in compliance
In various states, fire service norms are in place. However, there is a notable absence of standardisation and consistent safety legislation. Despite the National Building Code (NCB) serving as a ‘recommendatory document’, many of its provisions are frequently overlooked at the local level. Even obligatory certifications often go unheeded. The Code acknowledges the possibility of local fire services granting exemptions from its provisions in cases of practical difficulty or to alleviate undue hardship, provided reasonable safety standards are upheld.
Local authorities frequently neglect to conduct routine fire safety audits to ensure compliance.
For instance, in the Rajkot fire incident, staffing shortages emerged as a significant contributor to the lax enforcement of fire safety regulations. The accused allegedly violated regulations by erecting a structure spanning 50 metres in width and 60 metres in length, with a height resembling that of a two-storey building, using metal sheet fabrication. According to the FIR, the accused failed to secure a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the local fire department and lacked adequate firefighting equipment, reported The Hindu.
Additionally, the owners incorporated materials such as bricks, concrete, tyres, and wooden furniture into the construction of the gaming zone, which led to the rapid spread of fire.
In 2020, the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), in its report ‘Fires in India: Learning Lessons for Urban Safety (2020)’, highlighted, “The apathy of the authorities in taking any action has clearly indicated that little has been learnt from the previous fire outbreaks.”
The NIDM report further highlighted the urgent necessity for stringent adherence to guidelines for fire prevention in existing old structures. This includes implementing a rigorous schedule for the renewal of licences and permits, as well as conducting regular monitoring and inspections of installed firefighting equipment by relevant authorities to avert potential tragedies.
