Facing flak for their inaction to check violations of building by-laws and preventing such incident, North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NMC) Mayor Adesh Gupta has ordered an enquiry in Karol Bagh fire incident to ascertain the lapses from the civic officials’ end, or Delhi Fire Department’s end and also talk about ensuring that such incidents do not recur in future.
A senior NMC official said that there are obvious violations of laid-down norms, including running a makeshift restaurant on the rooftop. The committee will probe the matter from all the angles and taking previous violations if any into account, he said.
Mayor said that the enquiry committee has been asked to submit the report within three days. Based on the report action will be taken against civic employees if they are found guilty of committing any lapses, he said.
As per the NMC records, the hotel building had faced action years back under the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act for illegal constructions, he added.
The mayor and Commissioner Varsha Joshi also visited the site of the fire and took stock of the situation.
The civic body in its preliminary enquiry found that the incidence of fire occurred on the second floor around 3.30 am due to short-circuit,” the official said.
A Delhi Fire Service (DFS) officer said that the fifth floor was sealed with a brick wall after which a fire safety certificate was issued but later the wall was demolished by hotel management to run the rooftop restaurant.
“The fifth floor was covered with acrylic roof and was being used as a terrace restaurant by the hotel management. They had also made a kitchen on the terrace with sitting arrangement for at least 60 people on roof, he said.
Again an inspection was conducted on December 4, 2017 and the owner was “deemed complied” with fire safety norms at the hotel premises and it was declared “fit” for “occupancy class residential” (guesthouse) with effect from December 24, 2017 for a period of three years, he said.
Soon after the incident came in light, official of various authorities in the city started the blame and tried to pass the buck on each other. Residents of the adjoining areas accused corporation officials for failing to check repeated violations in the area which resulted in such a monumental tragedy. Even after many of such incidents reported in past, civic authorities have not learnt any lesson, they said.
There are more than 800 hotels in the areas and many of them have not followed required safety norms and even some of them have illegal construction as well, one of the residents said.
The hotel was first granted a licence in October 2005 and was renewed every year. The last licence renewal was done on May 25, 2018, which is valid till March 31, the official said.