Delhi fire tragedy puts spotlight on Karnataka’s weak fire safety enforcement

Mysuru: Gaps in fire safety enforcement in Karnataka have come into focus after the recent Delhi hotel fire that killed 21 people, including foreign nationals.

While fire safety is often discussed after tragedies, the legal and administrative ability to prevent such incidents remains limited in many cases.

In Karnataka, a fire NOC is compulsory primarily for high-rise buildings of 21 metres and above. Many other categories of buildings, even those hosting large numbers of people, are not required to obtain an NOC. Fire officers, according to fire authorities, often lack clear powers to enter and inspect premises solely to verify whether a building is fire-safe. Without inspection authority, enforcement becomes reactive, dependent on complaints or post-incident inquiries, rather than preventive risk reduction.

A similar warning came from Bihar, where at least four patients died after a major fire broke out in the ICU on the fifth floor of a private hospital in Muzaffarpur. Such incidents underline why fire safety certification must be treated as essential for hospitals and educational institutions, regardless of building height.

Regional fire officer P Chandan informed TOI that the Karnataka Fire Force Act, 1964, provides a stronger framework for high-rises by requiring a Fire NOC before construction for buildings 21 metres or above, mandating compliance with fire safety norms, and requiring periodic inspections. It also provides for criminal liability when violations occur after an NOC is granted. However, when large segments of buildings fall outside mandatory NOC requirements, the system leaves dangerous gaps, he stated.

Regulatory mechanisms like the Karnataka Private Medical Establishment Board also require medical establishments to possess fire department clearance before giving licences, but consistent verification and periodic renewal are crucial. Educational institutions are required to obtain NOC.

Recent construction has reduced setbacks and access, making firefighting and evacuation harder. Buildings, both residential and commercial, are constructed without leaving adequate space, and even most high-rise structures fail to leave lung space on all four sides.

In the pre-Independent era, several localities like Yadavagiri, Saraswathipuram and Vidyaranyapuram were developed keeping fire safety norms in mind. Adequate lung space was given between buildings, like in foreign countries where fire safety norms or guidelines are stricter. Even the then Maharajas of Mysore followed the same fire safety guidelines, and it is visible in various buildings constructed during their period, explained the regional fire officer.

Mysore Medical College and Research Institute dean and director Dr KR Dakshayini told TOI that all five hospitals, including KR Hospital, Cheluvamba Hospital, PKTB Sanatorium, Trauma Care Hospital and Super Speciality Hospital, are fire safety compliant, and biomedical engineers and civil engineers ensure fire safety norms are strictly followed to prevent any untoward incidents. On average, 2,200 patients visit these hospitals every day as outpatients, and about 450 patients are inpatients on any given day.