Curation Team
HYDERABAD: Only 7,000 of the 4.5 lakh buildings across Telangana obtained fire NOCs in the past seven years. Key reason: The Fire Services Act of 1999 that mandates NOCs only for structures taller than 15 metres. The rest can only be looked after by Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.
According to officials, this limitation has led to widespread neglect of fire safety measures in buildings below the stipulated height, which account for 99% of fire accidents.
“When we recently questioned the Old City Merchants’ Association about the absence of fire safety equipment, they said that there are no mandated regulations. This shows complete disregard for safety protocols in non-high-rise structures due to lack of regulation,” said Y Nagi Reddy, director general, Telangana fire services, stressing the need to amend the Act amid a rising rate of fire accidents, especially in Hyderabad.
“We have already told the chief minister about the need to mandate safety equipment in all buildings. The department has sent proposals to amend the act in line with the present requirements of Hyderabad and Telangana. The existing Act was implemented 26 years ago, considering the circumstances prevalent during that time,” he said.
The dept said that the proposed amendments will mandate fire compliance for all buildings within city limits. It will also require all establishments to obtain a NOC, regardless of height. Currently, the Fire Services Act excludes industrial units, factories, and commercial buildings below 15 metres from regulation.
“Owing to the current Act, even basic safety measures such as sprinklers, alarms, fire detection mechanisms, underground water sumps, and fire extinguishers on each floor — are not followed by buildings. The absence of periodic inspections and requirement for renewal contributes to this non-compliance with safety standards,” said a senior fire official.
