Rules for implementing fire fighting act yet to be approved in Himachal

Concern over fire safety is back in focus after a blaze broke out at new OPD building of Shimla hospital

Most of the buildings, including both government and private-owned, in Himachal Pradesh have not got the no-objection certificate (NOC) for fire safety from the fire department as the rules for implementation of the HP Fire Fighting Services Act 1984 have not been approved and notified till date, officials said.

Concern over fire safety is back in focus after a blaze broke out at the attic of the newly constructed multi-storeyed Outdoor Patient Department (OPD) building of Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMCH) in Shimla on Thursday after cooking gas cylinders exploded.

No casualty was reported in the incident which occurred around 8.40 am as about 250 people were safely evacuated by the hospital staff. However, five chambers of doctors, three lifts and the hospital cafeteria were damaged in the fire.

Also read | Fire breaks out at house of CM’s security personnel in Shimla; no casualties

The central government had in 2020 written to the states and Union territories to take utmost precautions to avoid fire incidents in health institutions in the wake of the heavy influx of patients due to the Covid pandemic, but the new OPD block, constructed at a cost of Rs 30.90 crore and inaugurated by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on March 9, is yet to obtain the NOC from the fire department.

The hospital had applied for the NOC in April 2023 but is yet to get it, divisional fire officer Sanjeev Kumar said.

As per the section 15-A of the Himachal Pradesh Fire Fighting Services Act, 1984, all building plans in respect of buildings above 15 metres of height, industrial units, and commercial establishments dealing with or using explosive and highly inflammable substances shall require a “no-objection certificate”.

A fire NOC is issued after examining and checking a building's fire assistance and machinery installed for fire safety.

The Act empowers fire officers to inspect firefighting equipment in any premises and take punitive action for lapses. However, rules framed by the Himachal Pradesh Fire Services Department in 2019 for implementation of the Act are yet to be approved.

Chief fire officer Mahesh Sharma said rules envisaging compliance with fire prevention norms to minimise fire accidents and reduce fatalities, injuries and loss to property are awaiting approval.

There was no immediate response from senior government officials on why there was a delay in notifying and approving the rules.

Old buildings, most of which are heavily timbered and lavish with paints, are more vulnerable to fire but no separate plan has been put in place to protect these structures.

The mushrooming of concrete structures chokes the passages and hampers the smooth movement of fire tenders thus causing delay is another man-made hurdle, said senior citizen Om Prakash.

It seems fire safety has not been the priority of any government in the state as a number of heritage buildings have been gutted in the fire in the past, he said.