New Delhi, Jun 16 (PTI) Amid multiple fire accidents in the city in recent weeks, Delhi Fire Service (DFS) has asked owners or occupants of various types of buildings, and basements with two or more levels, to mandatorily have a fire safety certificate.
The DFS, in its notice issued on Tuesday, listed 11 categories of buildings that are required to provide fire prevention and fire safety measures as per National Building Construction Standards-2026 (Part-F), the Delhi Fire Service Act, 2007 and Delhi Fire Service Rules, 2010.
These buildings include residential (other than hotels and guest houses) and business buildings, having a height of over 15 metres or comprising five or more stories, including mezzanine or stilt floor above ground level. Hotels and guest houses, which are over 12 metres tall or have four or more stories, including mezzanine or stilt floor above ground level.
Education buildings having a height of over 9 metres or comprising three or more stories, including mezzanine or stilt floor above ground level, are also required to have the certificate.
Fire NOC is also mandatory for institutional and mercantile buildings having a height of beyond 9 metres or comprising three or more stories, including mezzanine or stilt floor above ground level, and assembly and industrial buildings having a covered area of more than 250 square metres on all stories.
Storage and hazardous buildings having covered areas of more than 250 sq metres and 100 sq meters, respectively, on all their stories are also among the types of buildings that need to have the certificate.
The latest DFS notice also carries a clarification regarding underground structures. Basements with two or more levels will now require a fire safety certificate. A senior officer said that the provision was not specified earlier.
The building owners are required to apply to the principal director, Delhi Fire Service, for the issuance of a fire safety certificate if they do not have one already.
The fire service official said the notice was issued for awareness in the wake of recent accidents, so that people adopt fire safety measures proactively in their respective buildings and premises.
Fire safety certificates issued under Rule 35 of Delhi Fire Service Rules, 2010, unless sooner cancelled, are valid for 5 years for residential buildings (other than hotels) and 3 years for non-residential buildings, including hotels, from the date of issue.
The DFS said that the buildings which do not have a fire safety certificate are requested to submit an application for obtaining it. If the fire safety certificate has expired, a renewal application can be submitted through the department’s portal.
In a recent fire accident at a hotel in Malviya Nagar, 23 people died. More recently, three persons died in a case of arson in a Govindpuri residential building.
In March and May, 18 people died in fires at residential buildings in Palam and Vivek Vihar. PTI VIT SSJ VIT AMJ AMJ
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