DFS Denies Fire Safety Nod to Police HQ, LN Hospital

The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) has denied fire safety certificate (FSC) renewals to two major public buildings this month—the Delhi Police Headquarters on Jai Singh Marg and Lok Nayak Hospital near Delhi Gate—citing violations of prescribed fire safety norms.

- Jignasa Sinha

NEW DELHI:

This is the first time the Delhi Police HQ has been denied a fire No-Objection Certificate (NOC), while Lok Nayak's application has been turned down twice this year after inspections revealed multiple lapses.

The denials come amid heightened scrutiny of fire preparedness in public institutions, following a spate of hospital and industrial fires earlier this year. As reported by Hindustan Times on May 22, the DFS had also rejected FSC renewals for Ambedkar Nagar Hospital, Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital, and two blocks at AIIMS-Delhi.

Under the Delhi Fire Services Rules, 2010, public and commercial buildings must renew their fire clearance every three years.

DFS officials, asking not to be identified, said inspections were carried out meticulously, and notices with rectification advice were sent to both the police and hospital administrations.

Flagship police HQ fails fire audit The Delhi Police Headquarters, a 17-storey twin-tower complex inaugurated in 2019 by Union home minister Amit Shah, is the force's first purpose-built headquarters after decades in rented buildings. Located on an 8-acre plot near Connaught Place, it houses the offices of the commissioner, special commissioners, control rooms, social media and surveillance units, and critical intelligence wings.