357 high-rise societies in GB Nagar served notice for want of firefighting tools

The identified buildings, which were more than 15 metres tall, have been given a month to comply with standards

The Gautam Budh Nagar fire department has identified 357 high-rise societies in Noida and Greater Noida where firefighting equipment is non-functional, officials aware of the matter said on Friday.

According to the fire department, the identified buildings either had firefighting devices, but these were discovered to be non-functional while being examined, or the facility was missing in other places. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

According to officials, the identified buildings, which were more than 15 metres tall, did not meet the standards, and the firefighting equipment was either found to be inoperable, damaged due to a lack of maintenance, or missing.

The department has served notices to the erring buildings and has warned them of legal action.

“Inspections were conducted by the department across Noida and Greater Noida to check if the safety measures were met and guidelines were followed. However, inspections revealed that many housing high-rise societies lacked firefighting equipment,” said Pradeep Chaubey, chief fire officer (CFO), Gautam Budh Nagar.

“The laxity highlights the authorities’ irresponsibility in this regard. The buildings are extremely dangerous because there is no proper firefighting mechanism in place, which can result in casualties during an emergency. As many as 357 identified high-rise societies were served notices and issued warnings to comply with fire norms, with approximately 100 initiating the process”, added Chaubey.

According to the fire department, the identified buildings either had firefighting devices, but these were discovered to be non-functional while being examined, or the facility was missing in other places. The establishments were issued NOCs (no objection certificates) by the department only after a thorough examination when they were built, but the management failed to maintain these, officials said.

“The department approved the societies, but these equipment were not maintained, repaired, or reinstalled by their managements as needed over time,” the CFO said. “They have been asked to comply with the standards, upgrade their facilities, and inform the fire department within a month. If they need more time to rebuild their firefighting infrastructure, we will give it to them,” he added.

According to the fire department, there is a provision for ten years in prison or a fine of ₹1 lakh, or both, if the fire guidelines are not followed.