The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) has declined to renew the fire safety certificate for the annexe building of Talkatora Stadium after inspectors found multiple violations during a recent check. The decision was communicated to the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Thursday, with DFS listing 12 safety lapses that it said make the building unfit for certification.
DFS officials inspected the annexe on November 6 in the presence of NDMC representatives. The inspection found that several key systems designed to alert and protect occupants during a fire were either broken, missing, or not functioning. According to the DFS letter, the fire control room panel on the ground floor was non-operational. The public address system, manually operated alarm units, smoke detectors, and the smoke management system were also found dead.
The inspection revealed that the 900 LPM terrace pump was removed, leaving the building without an essential emergency water supply. Multiple hydrants were damaged, and hoses were missing. Critical fire escape staircases were locked and blocked by furniture and stored materials.
DFS stated that these conditions rendered the building unsafe for public use. “In view of these shortcomings, the application for issuance of the fire safety certificate is rejected,” the letter stated. It warned that continuing to occupy the structure without fixing the violations would be at the “risk and liability of the owner and occupier.” The fire department also requested that NDMC initiate necessary corrective action immediately.
In a separate decision, the DFS rejected the application for a fire safety certificate for the 600-bed Ambedkar Hospital in Dakshinpuri. The building had first been inspected in May 2023, when DFS flagged major failures in its safety infrastructure. Officials found the pressurisation system for staircases, lift shafts, and lobbies to be non-functional. Fire check doors lacked self-closing devices, and smoke management arrangements were not operational.
Although the hospital had an automatic fire detection and alarm system installed, DFS noted that it, too, was non-functional at the time of the 2023 inspection. Manually operated electronic alarms were also not working.
A follow-up inspection was carried out on October 30 this year. According to a DFS letter sent to NBCC on Thursday, the department found that none of the earlier shortcomings had been rectified. The letter noted that the hospital still lacked functional smoke management systems and had not fixed its pressurisation units. Fire control systems remained inactive. DFS officials said the failure to correct the lapses despite repeated notices left them with “no option” but to deny certification again.
Both cases highlight recurring concerns over fire preparedness in key public buildings across the Capital. DFS officials said owners and government agencies responsible for these buildings must act quickly to bring them into compliance or risk serious safety hazards.
Officials added that certification would only be reconsidered after full compliance with fire safety norms is achieved.
