New Delhi, Delhi Police will keep a check on small businesses across the national capital that are lacking fire safety measures, posing a threat to the live of its workers and residents, an official said on Friday.
Major fire incidents were reported in the city in the month of March month, claiming several lives.
On Thursday, a person died after a massive fire broke out in a building in northeast Delhi’s Jafrabad area. The blaze was in a small cloth stitching unit and the victim, identified as Javed , was unable to escape on time.
According to police sources, more than 3,000 small businesses are currently running in different area of the national capital. Some of them have never applied for any fire NOC and also don’t have proper equipments to deal with any small or major fire incidents.
“We have decided that teams will collect information about such businesses which are either running illegally and don’t even follow basic firefighting procedures. They will be asked to keep basic firefighting tools so they can save their lives during a blaze,” a senior police officer said.
According to the Delhi Fire Services data, they received 1,204 fire-related calls in January 2024, resulting in 15 deaths. In February, 992 calls were recorded, claiming 16 lives, while six more people died in fire-related incidents until March 11 last year.
However, this year the national capital has witnessed a notable drop in both fire incidents and casualties.
There has been a sharp decline in the number of fire-related calls and deaths till March 11, according to the data.
The fire department has received 938 calls in January, in which six people lost their lives. In February, the DFS handled 1,076 calls, with two fatalities. By March 11, the DFS received 455 calls, in which four people lost their lives, it stated.
A total of 116 people lost their lives in various fire-related incidents in 2024. Sixteen in January, 16 in February, 12 in March, four in April, seven in May, 29 in June, one in July, five in August, three in September, eight in October, 11 in November, and four in December.
The police said the teams will collect information about small businesses across Delhi, including those who use inflammable material for their work purpose.
“With this information, teams will able to make those business owners aware about the fire incidents and the challenges police and firefighters do face during their operation,” another police officer said.
Meanwhile, the Delhi government has ordered the fire safety audit of all its buildings, with focus on hospitals and health centres, by the Public Works Department . The audit will cover all safety aspects, including verifying the presence and functionality of fire prevention measures such as fire alarms, sprinkler systems, and fire extinguishers. The audit exercise is to be completed by April 15.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
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