Delhi learns no lessons from past fire tragedies
NEW DELHI: Uphaar Cinema, 1997, 59 dead; Lal Kuan, 1999, 57 dead; Bawana, 2018, 17 dead; and Karol Bagh, 2019, 17 dead.
The latest to join the list was the early morning blaze at an illegal factory in Anaj Mandi on Rani Jhansi Road on Sunday, where 43 people lost their lives.
But Delhi is yet to learn lessons on fire safety norms. Despite a history of major fire incidents, which claimed scores of lives, Sunday’s incident was a glaring eye-opener to the apathy of government agencies towards the implementation of fire safety and building laws. Experts and petitioners of major fire incidents say that after every major case, agencies jump into action in knee-jerk reactions but action is seldom initiated or followed through.
In 1997, Neelam Krishnamoorthy lost her two children at a blaze at south Delhi’s Uphaar cinema, one of the most horrific fire tragedies in the history of the national capital, which claimed 59 lives.
The investigation into that tragedy unmasked major lapses in fire inspections and the process of granting safety clearances by the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) and the municipal agencies.
“After Uphaar, there was an order from the Supreme Court that a single nodal agency consisting experts be created to look after the fire permits and safety clearances so that agencies do not end up passing the buck and thorough scrutiny of all aspects before functioning certificates are granted. But that did not happen,” Krishnamoorthy said.
Krishnamoorthy said the licensing process is like a welloiled corruption machinery, which feeds private owners of buildings as well as permit agencies.
“The owners of such unsafe buildings benefit because they don’t have to spend money on building additional exits and stairways, etc., and the government officials providing clearance get money from them. Both parties are happy and people ultimately suffer,” she alleged.