A total of 516 of the 996 small commercial establishments are operating with expired fire No Objection Certificates (NOC) or inadequate fire safety equipment in Gurugram, a fire department official said on Thursday, citing a past annual survey, adding that another survey will be conducted soon, with strict action against violators.
“A comprehensive survey will soon be conducted across commercial and residential establishments to identify violations. Notices will also be issued to the defaulters,” said Narendra Yadav, Sector 29 fire station officer.
To be sure, the fire department had issued notices to the violators following the past survey.
According to officials at the fire department, a previous survey found that 12 of the 57 hotels were operating without the required clearance.
“Of the 12 hotels, three applied for renewal of their fire NOC; six applications were rejected citing lapses, and three hotels are yet to apply for NOCs,” an official said who did not wish to be named.
The official said the survey had also found that 808 high-rise of the 2,005 operating without the mandatory fire NOC. Of the 2,005 high-rises, 805 are residential units, and the remaining 1,200 are commercial ones, according to the fire department data.
The official said the survey will commence soon in the wake of the fire incident in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar, where at least 21 people were killed at Flourish Stays bed-and-breakfast facility, operating illegally and violating fire safety norms.
According to the National Building Code and Haryana Fire Service regulations, all buildings above 15 metres in height must obtain a fire NOC and install essential fire safety systems, including fire extinguishers, water pipelines, alarms, and sprinklers.
“Buildings that fail to apply for or obtain fire NOCs within the stipulated time will face action,” said Yadav.
The official said the fire NOCs are also considered expired when fire safety systems at the premises go defunct. Key equipment includes fire extinguishers, fire alarms, smoke detectors, and automatic water sprinklers.
The building should have proper ventilation and an emergency escape route.
