Noida: The scene in Sector 104 on a Saturday evening is nothing short of a chaotic fairground. Cars are parked haphazardly, pedestrians weave through traffic and crowds spill out of buildings housing cafes, restaurants, wine shops and small entertainment joints. Music blares from upper floors while servers rush up and down cramped staircases carrying trays of food and liquor. Few notice the tangled web of electrical wires between buildings or that most buildings in this popular nightlife hub have no fire safety clearance.These commercial establishments are built on 5% abadi lands. In exchange for the land they give up to the administration for the development of roads and residential sectors, farmers are paid an amount as compensation and allotted these ‘developed’ plots carved out of village (abadi) population area. The plots are given a special consideration —owners are allowed to start a business or build a house on them. Several sell these lands or rent it out to businesses.Many of these buildings, which house the businesses, rise up to the fourth floor in densely packed lanes. Wine shops and eateries, often sitting side by side, draw hundreds of patrons every weekend. The sheer footfall, combined with congested access points, has turned the area into a high-risk zone for fire-related disasters.“If there is a fire, there is no escape. The staircases are so narrow that even two people can’t pass at once. Fire engines will never reach here. We keep warning authorities, but no one listens,” said a local resident of Hajipur village, requesting anonymity. Residents say the danger is amplified by the nature of businesses operating here. Every restaurant has a kitchen with LPG cylinders, makeshift exhaust systems and overloaded power connections. In several buildings, loose wires hang close to gas pipes and wooden interiors.“Just one spark is enough,” said another Hajipur resident. “We live with our families above or next to these places. The crowd is outsiders, but the risk is ours.”A similar concern is emerging in Shahdara village though on a smaller scale. The area is still developing, with fewer cafés and restaurants compared to Hajipur. Buildings are coming up quickly often without proper planning for safety norms.“Right now, there are not many restaurants here but whatever has opened follows the same model,” said a Shahdara resident. “Small plots, four floors, one staircase. If this continues unchecked, Shahdara will become another Hajipur in a year or two.”Customers not in the knowPatrons visiting these eateries remain largely unaware of the risks. A group of friends dining at a fourth-floor restaurant in Hajipur said fire safety never crossed their minds. “We just come here because it’s lively and cheaper than Sector 18 or malls,” said one of them. “I assumed all these places would have permissions.”Another customer waiting outside a wine shop-cafe combination said the crowd itself should be a warning sign. “There are so many people inside. If something goes wrong, it will be chaos,” he said, before adding, “But honestly, no one thinks that far when they come to relax.”Restaurant and café operators admit that most establishments are functioning in a regulatory grey zone. A cafe manager in Hajipur village said compliance is complicated by plot size and cost. “Most of us are operating on small areas. According to the rules, if the built-up area is below 500 square metres, a fire NOC is not mandatory. Installing full fire safety systems is expensive and there is no clear direction,” he said.Another restaurant owner in Shahdara village echoed this view. “Officials talk about safety but at the same time, there is pressure under ease of doing business. We are told not to worry too much. Nobody wants sealing but nobody gives us practical solutions either,” he said.District magistrate Medha Roopam acknowledged the risks and said the administration has taken note of the situation. “During a recent disaster management meeting, the fire department has been instructed to audit such areas and take action against establishments that do not have the required fire safety arrangements, including sealing where necessary,” she told TOI.However, fire department officials highlight the limitations in enforcement. A senior official said that as per existing norms, establishments operating in areas below 500 sq m are not mandated to obtain a fire NOC. “As per govt guidelines and ease of doing business directions, we have also been advised not to carry out coercive sealing drives against such small businesses,” he said.As most of the establishments on the 5% plots in Sector 104 and 143 are built up on area below 500 sq m, they end up being outside compliance norms. This regulatory gap has raised uncomfortable questions especially in light of past incidents. In 2024, a fire at a similar hotel in Sector 104 killed a woman. Investigations later revealed the hotel did not have a fire NOC and lacked basic fire safety measures. Most recently in Dec 2025, a fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa — also operating without a fire NOC — claimed 20 lives. Such incidents are a grim reminder of the consequences of running overcrowded, non-compliant business spaces.
