Noida: A surprise fire safety inspection by the fire department on Thursday exposed several shortcomings in firefighting preparedness, including staff untrained in handling fire equipment, missing or expired fire extinguishers, and absence of mandatory fire safety clearances, at several hotels across the city, with five issued notices for failing to meet safety standards.The drive comes a day after a fire at a hotel in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar claimed 21 lives and triggered renewed scrutiny of fire safety arrangements across NCR.Chief fire officer Pradeep Kumar Chaubey, who led inspections at hotels in Sector 104, found staff inadequately trained to handle firefighting equipment. At Eloit Hotel, an employee tasked with demonstrating the hose reel system was initially unable to operate it and appeared unfamiliar with the procedure. Additional staff had to be called in, and the process took nearly eight minutes — a delay officials described as alarming in the event of a real emergency. Even after activation, the system failed to deliver water effectively to the upper floors.At Chhavi Hotel, the next on the inspection route, staff attempted to operate multiple pumps, including the jockey pump, but were unable to generate adequate water pressure. Water failed to reach even the first floor, raising serious concerns about the establishment’s emergency response capability.Chaubey said 23 hotels were inspected during the drive and deficiencies found in five, including Chhavi Hotel. All five were issued notices and directed to rectify shortcomings within two days. He warned that failure to comply could result in cancellation of fire safety clearances and no-objection certificates.“There will be no compromise on fire safety. Hotels and commercial establishments must ensure that firefighting systems remain functional and staff are adequately trained to respond during emergencies,” he said. The department said similar inspections would continue across the district in the coming weeks.Thursday’s findings are not isolated. Inspections conducted between March and April had already flagged serious deficiencies — including narrow exits, missing extinguishers, and malfunctioning suppression systems — at 43 hotels across the city. Of these, 19 have since rectified the violations, officials said. Notices have been issued to all non-compliant establishments, with a stipulated deadline for compliance, Chaubey said, adding that establishments continuing to violate norms despite notices face closure.Noida has witnessed multiple fatal hotel fires in recent years, including a blaze in Sector 39 last year in which a young woman died.Beyond hotels, the fire department faces structural challenges in several older parts of the city. More than 20 villages and densely populated localities, including Chotpur, Bahlolpur, Sarfabad, Garhi Chaukhandi, Vishanpura, Chhijarsi, Mamura, Morna, Chhalera, Sadarpur, Gejha, Nayagaon, Kakrala and Hajipur, have lanes too narrow for fire tenders to access. Officials said the first 10 to 15 minutes after a fire breaks out are often critical to limiting casualties. However, encroachments, congested roads and traffic delays routinely hinder emergency response, allowing small fires to escalate.The department had, several years ago, proposed motorcycle-mounted mini fire tenders capable of navigating congested neighbourhoods, but the proposal has not been fully implemented, leaving firefighters reliant on conventional vehicles across much of the city.Illegal construction has compounded the problem. In many parts of Noida, buildings have been raised beyond approved plans, emergency access routes blocked and mandatory setbacks encroached upon. Fire safety equipment is frequently neglected in factories and commercial establishments. Authorities have additionally flagged illegal roadside parking and encroachments in sectors 1 to 10, sectors 12, 18, 19, 20 and 22 and Film City as obstacles for emergency vehicles.
