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Relevance: GS Paper II (Polity & Governance — Local Bodies, 74th Amendment) & GS Paper III (Disaster Management, Infrastructure) Source: Delhi Govt / DFS proposal, June 2026

1 · What happened

The Delhi government is reviewing a proposal from the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) to make smoke detectors and fire extinguishers compulsory in all homes — independent houses, gated societies, and residential colonies alike.

The push follows a worrying admission: nearly 90% of buildings in Delhi do not have a Fire No-Objection Certificate (Fire NOC), meaning they have never been checked for basic fire safety.

  • Two recent home fires sharpened the alarm — one in Vivek Vihar and another in Palam, where paints and chemical thinners stored in a basement led to the death of a family of nine.
  • So far, fire rules in India have largely targeted big and tall buildings. This is the first serious attempt to bring safety into the ordinary home.

2 · The Story in Simple Words

First, whose job is fire safety?

Under the 74th Constitutional Amendment, the Constitution treats “fire services” as a job of city governments — the municipalities, also called Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).

It is listed in the Twelfth Schedule of the Constitution. So it is Delhi’s own bodies — the Delhi Fire Services and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) — that frame and enforce these rules, not the central government. This is why such reform must happen at the city and state level.

The Problem Today The Proposed Fix
Fire rules apply only to commercial and tall buildings (15 metres or higher). Ordinary independent homes are left out. Make smoke alarms and fire extinguishers compulsory in every home, big or small.
Narrow, crowded colony lanes block large fire engines, so help arrives too late. Buy small fire engines that can enter tight lanes and reach homes in time.
During an electrical fire, the power can trip — and wired alarms may stop working. Use battery-run smoke alarms that keep working even without electricity.

One idea you must know — the “National Building Code (NBC), 2016”. This is India’s master rulebook for safe construction, and its Part 4 deals with Fire and Life Safety — exit widths, alarms, fire-resistant materials, and more. But here is the catch: the NBC is only a model code.

It becomes binding law only when a State copies its rules into its own local building bye-laws. Until a State adopts it, the NBC is sound advice — not an enforceable law.

  • Why battery alarms, not wired ones: low-cost, battery-operated smoke detectors need no expensive rewiring and keep working even if a short circuit cuts the power. They sound a loud alarm the moment smoke appears, giving families the few minutes needed to escape before thick smoke makes breathing impossible.
  • The “four-minute window”: a fire must be controlled within roughly four minutes, before flashover — the moment a whole room suddenly bursts into flames. Crowded lanes that delay fire engines make this window very hard to meet, which is why small fire tenders matter so much.
  • Simple home habits also help: charge lithium-ion devices (e-scooters, phones) in open, airy spaces so they do not overheat; keep staircases and exits clear; and Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) should keep society gates open or staffed at night so fire engines are never blocked.
  • Way ahead: a law alone will not save lives. The government should subsidise alarms and extinguishers through local bodies, and ULBs must run regular audits and act firmly against illegal storage of chemicals in homes.

UPSC Value Box
Fire NOC Fire No-Objection Certificate — a clearance from the fire department confirming a building meets fire-safety norms. About 90% of Delhi’s buildings do not have one.
15-metre rule Fire clearances were compulsory only for commercial buildings and homes 15 m or taller; smaller independent homes were left out — the “gap” this reform targets.
Twelfth Schedule (Art. 243W) Added by the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act; lists “fire services” (entry 7) as a function of municipalities / Urban Local Bodies.
Urban Local Body (ULB) Elected city government (such as the MCD) that runs and enforces local services, including fire safety.
Delhi Fire Services (DFS) Delhi’s fire-fighting and fire-safety agency, which framed this new proposal.
Smoke detector (battery type) A small device that sounds an alarm on sensing smoke; runs on its own battery, so it works even during a power cut.
Flashover / 4-minute window Flashover is the moment a whole room catches fire at once; fires must be tackled within about 4 minutes to prevent it.
Key Figures ~90% buildings without Fire NOC · ~20,000 fire calls a year in Delhi · 250–300 fire deaths a year.

MCQ Practice Question
Q. With reference to fire safety governance in India, consider the following statements:

  1. Under the Twelfth Schedule of the Constitution, “fire services” is listed as a function of Urban Local Bodies.
  2. The National Building Code of India is, on its own, legally binding on all States.
  3. A Fire No-Objection Certificate (Fire NOC) certifies that a building meets prescribed fire-safety norms.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only    (b) 1 and 3 only    (c) 2 and 3 only    (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only

  • Statement 1 — Correct: The Twelfth Schedule (added by the 74th Amendment, under Article 243W) lists “fire services” as a function that belongs to municipalities / Urban Local Bodies.
  • Statement 2 — Incorrect (the trap): The National Building Code is only a model, recommendatory code. It does not become law by itself — a State must first adopt its provisions into its own local building bye-laws to give them legal force.
  • Statement 3 — Correct: A Fire NOC is a clearance from the fire department confirming that a building meets the required fire-safety standards.
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