NEW DELHI: The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) department has intensified safety inspections across establishments in the national capital to ensure public safety ahead of the festive season. The move comes in the wake of the blaze at a Goa nightclub that snuffed out at least 25 lives and left many others injured.
The department inspected as many as 79 establishments, including restaurants, hotels and clubs, last week to assess their compliance with the relevant fire safety norms.
The inspection drive was launched following an order issued by the DFS on December 10 following the Goa nightclub tragedy, which claimed the lives of four people from Delhi, among others.
The order issued by the DFS Principal Director notes, “In view of the recent fire incident in Goa and the increased risk associated with the upcoming festive season of Christmas and New Year celebrations, all Divisional Officers (DOs) and Assistant Divisional Officers (ADOs) of the DFS are hereby directed to undertake immediate and thorough fire safety inspections of public assembly premises such as restaurants, hotels and clubs, etc.”
Discussing the inspections conducted between December 11 and 17, a fire official told this newspaper, “Of these, only 46 establishments were found to be fully compliant with the prescribed fire safety standards, while 24 were issued directions to rectify shortcomings.
The premises of nine establishments were found shut at the time of the inspection. These were locations where restaurants or other establishments had earlier been granted fire NOCs but were no longer operational.” The exercise is ongoing, an official privy to the matter said.
The DFS also issued a comprehensive fire safety advisory for the festive season, directing all owners and occupiers of restaurants, hotels and clubs to strictly comply with evacuation plans, maintain clear exits and escape routes, ensure that they have valid fire safety certificates (FSC), and that the necessary firefighting equipment is fully functional.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had directed the DFS earlier this month to ensure that the process of issuing fire no objection certificates (NOCs) is made fully transparent and hassle-free so that hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, multiplexes and other commercial establishments do not face unnecessary delays.