Only 5% of Delhi Buildings Have Occupancy Certificates, Fire Chief Says
Around 80% of Delhi is unplanned and only about 5% of its buildings possess Occupancy Certificates, Delhi Fire Services Chief Fire Officer A.K. Malik said on Tuesday, highlighting critical fire-safety challenges across the capital.
Describing Delhi's fire preparedness as "average," Mr. Malik noted that fire risks have grown faster than the department's capacity to prevent and respond to emergencies. Unplanned construction, poor compliance with building by-laws, congested roads, and changing building designs remain the primary obstacles.
Delhi has more than 1,000 unauthorised colonies where construction has largely bypassed building by-laws introduced in 1957 and updated in 1983 and 2016. Because unplanned structures do not come before municipal building authorities for approval, they rarely reach the Fire Department for mandatory fire-safety inspections and clearances.
The department is also dealing with significant operational shortfalls. Delhi operates 71 fire stations against a requirement of 120, and employs around 2,500 firefighters against a requirement of more than 12,000. Over the next five years, the department plans to recruit 9,000 firefighters and expand its network to 120 fire stations. Eight sites have land available, 14 more have been identified with the Delhi Development Authority, 23 locations have been requested, and gram sabha land has been secured for seven stations in urban villages.
Traffic congestion and narrow lanes also prevent firefighters from consistently achieving the five-minute response target. To navigate difficult terrain, the department has deployed 24 Quick Response Vehicles, with 26 more to be deployed soon and another 50 proposed.
Escaping modern structure fires has also become harder due to lower ceilings, fewer ventilators, and combustible synthetic materials, which have reduced the flashover escape window from 17-18 minutes to three to five minutes. Department data shows that sprinklers and fire detectors can cut fire fatalities by roughly 97%, potentially reducing Delhi's annual fire deaths from around 100 to three or four. The government has approved their mandatory installation in principle.
