The recent cases of fire outbreak in Rajkot’s Game Zone and the short circuit-induced blast of oxygen cylinders in a paediatric hospital in Vivek Vihar in New Delhi has drawn our attention to the ignored issue of Urban Fire Safety In India. In densely packed urban areas of India, devastating urban fires have emerged as one of the most predominant risks to human lives and properties.
What is Urban Fire? What is the status of Urban Fires in India?
Urban Fire- Urban fire refer to fires occurring in urban areas, such as cities and towns, which are densely populated and have a high concentration of buildings, infrastructure, and human activity.
India has witnessed many tragic urban fire incidents in the recent past. For ex- Uphar cinema, New Delhi (1997); Kamala Mills, Mumbai (2017) and Taxila Coaching Centre, Surat (2019).
Status of Urban Fires in India
1. According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data 2019, India witnessed 330 deaths in commercial building fires and 6,329 fatalities in residential or dwelling building fires.
2. In 2015, NCRB reported death of 17,700 Indians died due to fire accidents. Maharashtra and Gujarat accounted for a significant portion (about 30%) of the country’s fire-related deaths.
3. The India Risk Surveys 2018 has placed India at 3rd position in fire incidents. This signifies the grave risks of fire incidents to urban habitats.
Common causes of Fires in India
1. Fault in electrical equipment- Loose wires, overloaded plugs, old equipment and highly inflammable Polyurethane foam (PUF) used for plastic insulation have contributed to the increase in urban fire accidents in the country.
2. Human errors- Human errors such as placing liquid near electrical equipment, burning food in the kitchen or spilling flammable liquids have also led to urban fires in India.
3. Lack of awareness among people- The lack of knowledge training for the persons to operate the installed firefighting equipments in the building premises.
What are the provisions regulating Urban Fires in India?
| Fire service Regulation | Fire service falls under the 12th schedule of the Indian Constitution dealing with Municipal functions. At present, fire prevention and fire fighting services are organized by the concerned States and Union Territories (UTs), and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) |
| National Building Code (NBC) of India, 2016 | NBC is a recommendatory document published by the Bureau of Indian Standards. It mainly contains administrative regulations, general building requirements such as fire safety requirements, structural design and construction (including safety) provisions. State governments are expected to incorporate the provisions of the code into their local building by laws. |
| Model Building Bye Laws, 2003 | Under Modern Building Bye Laws 2003, fire clearance is the responsibility of the Chief Fire Officer at each point. The concerned Development Authority must provide the building plans to the Chief Fire Officer for clearance purposes. |
| National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Guidelines | These guidelines stipulate fire safety requirements for public buildings. These include hospitals along with design guidelines relating to maintaining a minimum level of open space, exit mechanisms, stairs and evacuation drills. |
What are the issues with Urban Fire management in India?
1. Non-adherence to NBC code- The National Building Code (NBC) has set out elaborate guidelines including those for fire safety. However, the adherence to these codes have been lacklustre in India. For ex- Lack of separate fire escape staircases in Old Buildings and lack of fire safety audits.
2. Poor adoption of Model Fire Safety Bill- Many states have failed to adopt the provisions of the Model Fire Safety Bill 2019, drafted by the Central Govt for maintenance of fire and emergency services of a state.
3. Resource crunch in fire fighting operations- Fire safety operations in urban India are generally under the jurisdiction of the municipal corporations in the big cities. The fire fighting operations are financially, infrastructurally and technologically starved of resources. For ex- India had only 39% of the 8,559 fire stations needed in 2018.
4. Laxity on part of the regulatory bodies- The municipal corporation, civic development authorities and planning control commissions have been lax in the effective implementation of fire safety regulations.
5. Lack of robust fire mitigation technologies- Most of the modern Buildings in major cities lack sufficient in-built fire safety services such as smoke alarms and sprinkler systems. These systems operate as early warning systems and fire control measures.
What is the Way Forward?
1. Enactment of a Fire Act in every state- The states which have not enacted their own Fire Act should immediately enact a suitable Fire Act based on the 2019 model bill.
2. Following Fire Safety Standards- The Home Ministry must make sure that National Disaster Management Guidelines on Scaling, Type of Equipment and Training of Fire Services are duly followed by the States.
3. Regular Auditing- There should be time-bound fire and electric audits of all hospitals within the municipal area. Moreover, the government has to conduct third-party fire safety audits throughout the urban areas.
4. Mock Drills- The fire services must conduct regular fire safety drills so that people are aware of what to do in the event of such a tragedy.
5. Awareness Generation- A significant emphasis needs to be placed on creating awareness among different stakeholders like citizens, administrators, politicians, builders, engineers, regarding the importance of fire safety management.
6. Infrastructure and Technology- Adoption of modern technology such as water mist and drones and simple interventions like constructing water storage tanks at suitable locations can help in effective fire fighting.
7. Financial support to the fire safety department- The government should provide financial support and assistance in augmenting and modernizing the fire departments. For ex- Urban govt can impose a fire tax/levy and incorporate PPP partnership in fire management.
8. Abiding by the laid down rules- All buildings in the city must abide by the model building by laws that safeguard aspects of livability, safety and sustainability of its users.
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