Overview
- The Delhi Fire Service is drafting a proposal to make a fire safety clearance mandatory for every building, with government approval still pending.
- Most structures face no checks because NOCs start at 17.5 metres under the building code, with electricity granted below that height under DERC rules.
- If adopted, residents and shop owners would need sensors and water sprinklers installed before clearances are issued.
- Investigators say the Vivek Vihar blaze raced through stair and lift shafts in a stack effect, with the building below the 17.5‑metre cutoff.
- A companion paper urges pre‑summer electrical load audits, replacement of ageing cables and transformers, smart meters with overload detection, and coordinated drives with public advisories.