100 hotels, hospitals get one month to fix their fire infrastructure

Ghaziabad: Owners of 101 properties — manufacturing units, high-rises, hotels and hospitals — issued notices by the fire department during audits between March 1 and April 30, now have one month to upgrade their firefighting equipment and adhere to safety standards.
The properties are among the 500 buildings that were surveyed over the last two months and found operating without standard fire-fighting equipment or NOCs. The number of defaulters may go up as audits continue.

Chief fire officer (CFO) Rahul Pal told TOI that notices were served to 69 industrial buildings, 15 hotels and restaurants, eight commercial units, five hospitals, and two each to gyms and residential buildings.
"The buildings with poor firefighting infrastructure have been given 15 days to comply with the set norms and upgrade their equipment, failing which the department will initiate action against them," the officer said. "Fire safety norms do not require buildings with height up to 15 metres and spanning 500 sqm to obtain fire NOCs or install fire equipment. But now, we are directing them to install fire safety equipment too."
During the survey, it was found that most commercial buildings, especially hotels, did not apply for NOCs to cut costs or due to spatial constraints, especially those located in the old areas. A commercial building in RDC, where fire broke out earlier this week, was also operating without NOC for two years.
Between 2020 and 2024, Ghaziabad witnessed an upward trend in fire-related incidents. In 2020, a total of 910 fire accidents claimed 14 lives. In 2021, the city saw 931 fire incidents with one fatality. There was a sharp rise in cases the following year when 1,103 fire incidents killed three. In 2023, authorities documented 1,058 fire incidents. Last year, 1,607 fire incidents claimed 17 lives.
In the first quarter of 2025, a total of 305 fire incidents were recorded, which left four dead.
"Nearly 90% of fires break out due to short circuits in houses, industrial units, and other places. During summer, people use more electrical appliances, including fans, coolers, and air conditioners. Prolonged usage led to overheating. Heat makes matter worse. Overheating leads to short circuits and sparks frequently fires," Pal said.
He urged residents to switch to ISI-marked switches or electrical appliances and copper wiring in the house to check mishaps.