Delhi Fire Safety Certificates Stalled Since August 24, DFS Awaits Govt Relief

"FSCs not happening since August 24": Deregulation deadlock leaves Delhi's Fire Safety in limbo as DFS awaits Govt respite

New Delhi, September 20

The impasse stems from a recent administrative overhaul intended to deregulate fire safety oversight, which has instead ended up freezing operations due to a lack of qualified private evaluators and delayed government extensions.

Under new government deregulation guidelines, the responsibility for inspecting, issuing, and renewing FSCs was shifted from the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) to empanelled third-party private agencies.

On May 26, the government amended Rules 35 and 37 of the DFS Rules to hand over certification powers to third parties, incorporating a 90-day transition window. That transition period expired on August 24, effectively revoking the DFS's authority to process or renew fire safety certificates.

Despite issuing public notices on two separate occasions during the 90-day window, the DFS received very few third-party applications. None of the applicants met the mandatory criteria, leaving zero third parties empanelled to take over the responsibility.

Speaking to ANI, Delhi Fire Service Chief Officer AK Malik on Sunday said that because the DFS no longer holds the jurisdiction to process applications and no eligible third parties exist, the department has been unable to entertain any fresh FSC applications since August 24. With uncertified premises raising significant public safety and legal concerns for local entrepreneurs, the DFS actively sought a solution ahead of the cutoff.

Explaining the reason behind the delay, Malik said, "Fire NOCs have not been issued since 24 August because, under the government's deregulation guidelines, third parties were to be engaged to issue Fire Safety Certificates. The DFS Rules were amended in May, giving third parties responsibility for issuing and renewing these certificates under Rules 35 and 37, effective after 90 days."

He further said that notices were issued twice to invite applications for empanelment of third parties, but the response remained limited.

"During this period, notices were issued twice to empanel third parties, but there were very few applications, and none met the required criteria. As a result, no third party has been empanelled so far," he added.

"One week before this deadline of the 24th, we had examined all the applications. And when we found that no one was becoming eligible, we had sent a file to the government on the 18th itself, in which we requested the government to extend these three months," he added.

The proposed solution requires the Delhi government to formally notify an extension of the transition period, which would temporarily restore certification powers back to the DFS and grant immediate relief to affected businesses while the empanelment process is reworked.

Addressing broader structural safety, global fire response data indicates that buildings equipped with active detection and sprinkler systems see fire-related fatalities drop by up to 97%.

To capitalise on these safety statistics, the DFS submitted a comprehensive fire safety scheme titled 'Har Ghar Surakshit Bharat Viksit', which received in-principle approval from the Delhi government.

Following this approval, the DFS approached the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which is currently revising the Unified Building Bye-Laws (UBBL).

The upcoming Building Bye-Law amendments will mandate the installation of fire detectors and sprinklers in every newly constructed residential unit in Delhi to substantially reduce future fire casualties.

Beyond immediate policy fixes and structural mandates, the DFS is preparing a multi-phase modernisation strategy to address the capital's evolving urban landscape. The department has submitted a comprehensive 25-year master plan to the Delhi government.

Structured across five distinct five-year implementation phases, the long-term initiative remains in its planning and approval stages, with execution details set to roll out as official clearances are granted.

— ANI