Ghaziabad: Following the Ghaziabad administration’s order to RWAs and AOAs to tighten fire safety measures in societies, resident bodies have flagged major hurdles in meeting the norms, including the high cost of maintaining firefighting systems, ageing electrical infrastructure, conducting regular audits and drills, and keeping emergency exits free from encroachments.At a review meeting earlier this month, the administration ordered RWAs to appoint two trained firefighters per residential society on 12-hour shifts, regularly inspect and maintain fire-water pipelines to ensure adequate emergency supply, and keep staircases and evacuation passages clear. The order followed a series of fire incidents, including the April 29 blaze at Gaur Green Avenue in Indirapuram, which spread across eight flats on five floors.With accountability now being fixed for lapses that lead to fire incidents, RWAs said they were under growing pressure to upgrade safety systems but claimed the financial burden often falls on residents, who are reluctant to bear the costs.“Fire safety is essential, but convincing residents to pay for it remains a challenge,” said Amit Silawat, secretary of Uninav Heights in Raj Nagar Extension. The society recently spent nearly Rs 6 lakh repairing firefighting equipment from its maintenance account, triggering objections from residents over the necessity of the expenditure. Silawat noted that ground- and first-floor residents often questioned their contribution, arguing they faced lower fire risk.The compliance challenge is compounded by governance gaps. Fire NOCs are valid for three years, but RWA representatives are elected annually. “By the time we fully understand the issues and start addressing them, it is almost time for the next election,” Silawat said.According to AOA representatives, the problem originates at the handover stage. Rahul Baliyan, president of KDP Grand Savanna in Raj Nagar Extension, said developers often secure occupancy certificates before completing fire safety compliance across all towers. “In multi-tower societies, builders may obtain certificates for only a portion of the project. Once flats are handed over, responsibility shifts entirely to the AOA,” he said.Baliyan estimated that upgrading firefighting systems in Savanna — comprising 15 towers — could cost between Rs 70 lakh and Rs 1 crore. “The older the building, the higher the maintenance costs. Arranging that money is difficult, given limited resident participation despite appeals,” he said.Saurabh Sharma of Devika Skypers highlighted a systemic enforcement gap. “In our society, there is no functional fire alarm system. The builder removed it instead of repairing it, and residents are now expected to bear the restoration cost. While fire department officials conduct inspections and issue notices, there is no mechanism ensuring deficiencies are rectified,” he said.Sharma underscored the accountability problem. “When a fire incident occurs, the RWA is held responsible. There has to be a system ensuring corrective action is actually taken.”RWAs also questioned the practicality of maintaining round-the-clock fire safety readiness. “Societies already struggle to manage security and maintenance. Finding trained fire safety personnel for 24-hour deployment is difficult and expensive,” Sharma said. “Mock drills alone cannot guarantee safety, and fire NOC validity is limited.”A recurring obstruction involves emergency staircases. “Since lifts do not function during fires, these passages are critical evacuation routes. But residents often occupy staircase areas, and convincing them to vacate becomes difficult,” Sharma added.Bhagwan Singh, AOA president of SCC Sapphire, said resident cooperation remained the missing link in most societies. “Compliance becomes a task when ground-level support is absent,” he added.RWA representatives have proposed solutions to strengthen compliance. Baliyan advocated extending RWA tenures to two years, ensuring continuity in governance and safety initiatives. He also suggested placing a district administration representative in AOA committees to strengthen decision-making and enforcement.
