Only 93 City Hotels Fire-Safe, Rest Ticking Bombs

More than 350 unregulated hotels are located at Charbagh, Arya Nagar, Moti Nagar, Pandariba, Naka Hindola, Hussainganj and Lal Kuan

- Anupam Srivastava

LUCKNOW: Over the past few decades, the city's hospitality sector has seen a boom. While hotels are thriving, their unchecked growth didn't come without a cost.

While the official records put the number of establishments in the hospitality business in the city at 2,600, only 93 hotels, guest houses and restaurants possess a valid fire no-objection certificate (NOC), the state fire department's records say.

How these hotels are allowed to function without the required clearances remains a glaring question—one that reflects a serious lapse in regulation and enforcement.

The highest concentration of these unregulated hotels is located in Charbagh, Arya Nagar, Moti Nagar, Pandariba, Naka Hindola, Hussainganj and Lal Kuan. On this stretch, over 350 hotels and hundreds of restaurants function without fire safety clearances, the department says.

Not just that, but many of them also flout zoning laws and make the roads inaccessible for emergency services.

Common violations Among the many rules that are not paid heed to, the most common is the presence of one gate that serves as both entrance and exit. Also, fire alarms, smoke detectors and proper ventilation are missing in many establishments.

Narrow staircases—sometimes just 3 feet wide—pose a serious evacuation risk. Electrical audits haven't been conducted for years in many buildings. Several lack even a basic water supply, let alone hydrants.