Plea in SC seeks national fire and life safety framework

A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre and others to frame a national fire and life safety framework for high-risk public occupancy premises across the country.
The plea said the framework should cover schools, coaching centres, hostels, hotels, guest houses, bed-and-breakfast establishments, restaurants, malls, cinema halls, hospitals and other commercial premises with high footfall.

The petition, filed by advocate Narendra Kumar Goswami, also sought directions to all the states and Union territories to conduct within three-four months a special fire and life safety audit of high-risk public occupancy premises, prioritising coaching hubs, schools, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, banquet halls and malls.

Referring to some of the worst fire tragedies in India, including some recent ones in Delhi and Lucknow, the plea said one of the gravest reasons for such recurring incidents was the “absence of a uniform enforceable national minimum fire and life-safety framework for high-risk public occupancy premises”.  “The repeated occurrence of tragedies after judicial and administrative warnings shows that isolated FIRs and post-facto committees are constitutionally insufficient. Article 21 requires prevention, not merely condolence,” Goswami said in his petition. The plea sought a direction that the Centre and other concerned authorities, in consultation with all states and Union territories, “frame within a time-bound period a national minimum fire and life safety compliance, audit, disclosure and accountability framework for high-risk public occupancy premises”.

It also sought a direction to all states and Union territories to file affidavits before the court with district-wise data of high-risk premises, including the number of those without a fire no objection certificate (NOC).

The plea said basements, rooftops, mezzanines, temporary structures and unauthorised floors should not be used for activities like classrooms, libraries, coaching, restaurants, sleeping accommodation, hostels, unless specifically approved for such occupancy and fully compliant with fire and life safety norms. It also sought a direction for mandatory departmental proceedings and criminal law consideration against public officials who knowingly permit, certify or fail to act against high-risk premises lacking mandatory fire and life safety compliance.
The petition said authorities should ensure special protection for children and students by prohibiting the operation of schools, coaching centres, hostels, PGs, libraries from unsafe basements, illegal floors, congested staircases, single exit premises or structures without safe evacuation and fire safety compliance.
Besides other prayers, it also sought the constitution of a national expert committee to recommend the final framework within a fixed period.

As an interim prayer, the plea sought direction for preservation of all inspection records, fire NOCs, occupancy certificates, licences, CCTV footage and correspondence relating to the fire incidents in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar and Lucknow’s Aliganj, without interfering with the ongoing criminal investigations.
On June 3, a deadly fire at a bed-and-breakfast establishment in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar claimed 21 lives.
On June 22, a major fire ripped through a three-storey commercial building in Lucknow’s Aliganj, leaving 15 people dead and nine injured.