Greater Noida factory fire: DM orders probe, panel formed to address safety violations

The incident also brought to fore alarming lapses in safety protocols and the operation of industrial units without mandatory clearances

Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate Manish Kumar Verma has ordered a detailed investigation into the fire at a sofa manufacturing factory in Greater Noida’s Beta 2 locality that claimed the lives of three workers last Tuesday morning, said district administration officials on Friday.

Additionally, all factories in the district will undergo an immediate review to ensure that they meet safety requirements. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The incident also brought to fore alarming lapses in safety protocols and the operation of industrial units without mandatory clearances. Verma said all such establishments operating in the district will also undergo immediate review to ensure that they meet safety requirements.

Verma also directed the formation of a high-level committee to investigate the circumstances leading to the tragedy. The committee will examine the sofa factory’s compliance with safety norms, including its lack of a “no objection certificate (NOC)” for the fire department.

“The tragic incident highlights the critical importance of industrial units adhering to safety regulations. We have formed a special committee to investigate the circumstances leading to the fire to ensure accountability,” said Verma.

Additionally, all factories in the district will undergo an immediate review to ensure that they meet safety requirements.

Strict action will be taken against units operating without valid NOCs, the DM said. “A district-wide inspection of factories will be conducted to verify compliance with safety norms, particularly the possession of valid NOCs. Strict action will be taken against those found violating these norms to prevent such tragedies in the future,” said the DM.

Pradeep Kumar, chief fire officer (CFO), Gautam Budh Nagar, said weekly drives will be held in the district to check compliance.

“A five-member special committee has been formed on the directions of DM to investigate the lapses that led to the Greater Noida factory fire. Directions have also been issued to ensure that all such establishments comply with fire safety norms. To achieve that, weekly drives will be launched across the district, with a primary focus on industrial sectors, as these areas house a significant number of such units,” he said.

The fire at the factory in Site 4 of Beta 2 industrial area was reportedly triggered by a LPG gas leak during cooking, said fire officials.It soon engulfed the factory premises, leaving Gulfam (23), Mazhar Alam (29), and Dilshad (24) trapped in a tin-covered room where they resided.

Despite efforts by five fire engines to control the flames, the workers were charred to death, officials of the fire department said.

The tragedy prompted district officials to intensify their crackdown on industrial units operating without safety clearances. “Factories found violating safety norms will face immediate closure, and those responsible will be prosecuted,” said Verma.

To be sure, the district is home to approximately 20,000 industrial units, including micro, small, medium, and large-scale industries, spread across Noida, Greater Noida, and the Yamuna Expressway areas. These industries include manufacturing, IT/ITES, electronics, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and other sectors, making the district a prominent industrial hub in Uttar Pradesh.

The prominent industrial sectors that cater to a wide range of these industries include sectors 1-6, 10-12, 16, 57-63, 80-83, 127-135, 140, and 150-155, said district officials.

Greater Noida boasts of industrial areas such as Ecotech 1-3, Site 4, UPSIDC Industrial Area, and Surajpur, where large-scale industries, automotive units, consumer goods manufacturing, and logistics hubs are located.

The fire department of Gautam Budh Nagar recently launched inspections of government and private hospitals operating in the district, following the tragic fire at the neonatal intensive care unit of Maharani Laxmibai Medical College Hospital in Jhansi earlier this month, to check for compliance of fire safety rules.

Inspections were conducted at 50 hospitals, both public and private and of these, 10 were found to lack the mandatory no objection certificate from the fire department.