Fire Safety Regulations in India

Posted 22 Jun 2024

Updated 24 Jun 2024

5 min read

Why in the news?

Recent fire accidents in a gaming zone in Rajkot (Gujarat), a firecracker factory in Harda (Madhya Pradesh) and a private hospital in Delhi have raised concerns over fire safety in India.

Existing Fire Safety Standards and Regulations in India

Constitutional provisions: Fire service is a State subject and included in the 12^th Schedule of the Constitution of India which specifies the powers, authority and responsibilities of Municipalities.
- State governments are responsible for fire prevention and for implementing safety measures through the State Fire Services Act or building bylaws.
National Building Code (NBC): Published by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in 1970 and updated in 2016, it acts as the central standard for fire safety in India and provides guidelines regarding the general construction requirements, maintenance, exit routes and fire safety of buildings.
- It is a mandatory requirement for State governments to incorporate the NBC recommendations on minimum fire safety and rescue measures into their local bylaws.
Model Building Bye Laws 2016: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs issued it as a guide to the States and UTs to frame their respective building bylaws.
Model Bill to Provide for the Maintenance of Fire and Emergency Service for the State, 2019: It provides a model framework for states for maintenance of fire and emergency service.
Fire and Life Safety guidelines: Circulated by the Ministry of Health in 2020, stipulating third party accreditation for fire safety, creation of Fire Response Plan (FRP), etc.
Scheme for Expansion and Modernization of Fire Services in the States: Launched by Centre in 2023 for strengthening fire services in the States for the period upto 2025-26.

Challenges in maintaining Fire Safety Standards

Absence of uniform safety legislation across states:
- Some major states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand are yet to enact any legislation on fire safety.
- Majority of states have not updated or amended their existing laws in line with the Model Fire Act, 2019.
- NBC provisions, including ‘Fire and Life Safety’ audits, are recommendatory in nature and are not being implemented uniformly across India.
Suboptimal government oversight: Fire safety guidelines are not enforced properly due to failure of local bodies to conduct regular checks, poor quality of inspections, rare follow up actions, corruption etc.
Shortage of staff and proper firefighting equipment: Resource constraints among local bodies affect the performance of the state fire safety department.
- In 2019, there was a shortage of 5,191 fire stations and 5,03,365 personnel than required.
Other Shortcomings: Lenient punishments and penalties for violation of fire safety standards; Lack of proper organisational structure of fire safety Departments; Inadequate training and career progression of personnel; Lack of Infrastructural facilities etc.
Challenges related to Urbanisation:
- High population density: It increases the risk of casualties and complicates evacuation during fire incidents. E.g., the 1997 Uphaar Cinema fire in Delhi, where overcrowding led to a deadly stampede.
- Poor Urban Planning: Congested urban layout with narrow lanes delay arrival of fire engines, affect rescue operations. E.g., Kamala mills fire in Mumbai 2017.
Non-compliance: Several major fire incidents resulted from violations of fire safety standards by builders, private entities, etc.

Way forward

Mandatory Fire Safety Audits to be conducted annually by third-party nationwide for buildings with large footfalls.
Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment (HIRA) with focus on identifying potential hazards to address and mitigate inherent fire hazards.
Implement 13th Finance Commission Recommendations:
- Municipal Corporations with populations over one million must develop fire hazard response and mitigation plans and revamp fire services and support State Fire Services Departments.
Greater awareness through regular Fire Safety Drills in residential colonies, schools, and other institutions.
Stricter enforcement of fire safety standards and severe punishment for violations.
Strengthening capacity of local bodies by enhancing allocation of funds for fire departments, adequate training for fire personnels etc.
Implementing National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Guidelines on Scaling, Type of Equipment and Training of Fire Services

NDMA Guidelines

Enactment of a Fire Act at state level with legal regime for mandatory clearance from the fire department for certain buildings and premises.
Preparation of a comprehensive plan for revamping of Fire Service in the state.
Creating basic infrastructure, fire stations, water reserves, training centers etc.
Improve the outreach of the Fire Services: Fire stations should be established up to the sub-divisional level in the beginning and ultimately to the block and the Gram Panchayat level.
Ensure community preparedness and awareness.
Professional Head of fire services at the state level and district level (chief fire officer) for effective superintendence and control of the fire services
Research & Development of indigenous, less water-consuming fire extinguishing technologies.
Setting up of a modern training center at state level with adequate infrastructure, faculty and facilities with modern training aids like simulators,