After Goa tragedy, Delhi puts 900 restaurants & clubs under fire-safety scanner

Senior DFS officials said ahead of Christmas and New Year festivities, inspections will be carried out to ensure that all restaurant owners are complying with the 12 required parameters for operating their premises.

“The DFS issues a no-objection certificate (NOC) based on these parameters to hotels and clubs in the national capital. If shortcomings are found during the inspection, they will be immediately pointed out to owners and managers for rectification,” an official said.

The FIR lodged in the Goa case — where 25 people died in a blaze — had flagged lapses such as the absence of fire safety equipment and emergency exits at the night club, and the lack of required permissions and licences.

An official said currently, 891 hospitality establishments hold an NOC from the DFS — 801 restaurants, 52 hotels, and 38 clubs.

Premises with an area of 90 square metres or more are required to obtain a fire clearance certificate. While owners of residential hotels are required to obtain a fire safety NOC every five years, other hotels, restaurants, and clubs must renew it every three years.

When asked about the total number of eateries, hotels, or clubs operating in Delhi, the official said there may be thousands running illegally or without proper licences from other civic authorities. “Some of them may be operating in narrow lanes or residential areas.”

The officer further said, “Some establishments do not require an NOC at all as their holding capacity is less than 90 square metres.”

The DFS has a manpower strength of 3,000 personnel against a sanctioned strength of 3,500. On average, it receives about 100 calls daily. It handled 37,260 calls in 2024 and 34,038 calls up to December 3 this year.

In Gurgaon, Police Commissioner Vikas Kumar Arora Tuesday ordered an intensive safety audit of all bars, pubs, clubs and late-night restaurants across the city, and a zero-tolerance against hooliganism during New Year celebrations.

Special checking teams from all 36 police stations have been directed to personally inspect every establishment that remains open late or hosts parties, DCP (Headquarters) Dr Arpit Jain said. The focus areas, he said, includes: adequate, unobstructed and clearly marked emergency exits; proper width and functionality of entry and exit gates; mandatory frisking of all visitors; strict adherence to sanctioned occupancy limits; and availability of multiple entry-exit points.

“Any establishment found violating safety norms will be served immediate notice and face stringent legal action, including possible sealing, if required,” the CP warned in his written directive to all DCPs, ACPs and Station House Officers.

Haryana Home Secretary Dr Sumita Misra has also ordered fire safety audits of all party establishments across the state. “Following the tragic Goa nightclub fire that claimed 25 lives, I have directed immediate fire safety audits of all nightclubs, bars & pubs with dance floors across the state… Report deadline: 7 days,” she posted on X.

Fire officials in Gurgaon confirmed receiving the instructions. “We will begin our survey and checks of such establishments tomorrow. No guilty person will be spared,” fire safety officer Jai Narayan said.

Meanwhile, ahead of the New Year, the Gurgaon Police will deploy nearly 3,000 personnel across markets, major roads, cyber hubs and nightlife zones, DCP Jain added. All zonal DCPs and SHOs will remain field-bound at the time to supervise the bandobast.

“A strict ‘zero tolerance’ policy has been declared against drunken driving, rash driving, stunt biking, road rage and any act that disturbs public order. Offenders will face immediate FIRs and arrest. Party organisers, club owners and revellers to cooperate and celebrate responsibly,” officials said.

In Noida, nearly 50 restaurants and bars have been inspected.

According to officials, teams from the Fire Services Department, including the Chief Fire Officer (CFO), the Excise Department, and the Electrical Safety Department are conducting joint surprise inspections across various establishments to identify and rectify shortcomings related to fire safety, electrical infrastructure, and overall public safety.

Chief Fire Officer, Noida, Pradeep Kumar said at least 12 bars and restaurants were inspected on Monday and 22 on Tuesday. “We have not found anything lacking as of now but if we do, we will inform the Excise Department. Our priority is to focus on all critical safety measures — availability and proper functioning of emergency exits; presence, validity, and operability of fire safety equipment such as fire alarms and extinguishers; and electrical safety, including wiring, earthing, load management, and appliance safety,” said the CFO.

Officials also said teams are checking ventilation and smoke management systems; adherence to permitted occupancy limits and crowd-control measures; safe placement and handling of gas cylinders; quality of housekeeping; cleanliness; maintenance and validity of licences and approvals; and compliance with related regulations.

Officials reported that while most establishments complied with prescribed safety norms, deficiencies found at a few locations led to immediate directives for corrective action.

The checklist: 12 parameters must be met to get a fire NOC in Delhi. These include:

# If water tank is fitted with a motor, it should either be underground or on terrace

# Presence of fire extinguishers, fire hydrants or hose reels

# Proper ventilation

# Exit signage in place

# Functional fire alarm systems

# Use of non-combustible materials

# Presence of two exits

# Manual call points

# Emergency lights

Regular inspection of safety standards essential: CM

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday directed that establishments lacking fire-safety equipment or violating prescribed standards must face action. According to an official statement, she emphasised that regular inspections of safety standards in large events, hotels, restaurants and clubs are essential to prevent accidents like the Goa fire incident.

Gupta also noted that certain complaints have been received claiming that unnecessary rules and procedures are causing delays in obtaining NOCs. She instructed the chief secretary and departmental officers to review the existing procedures, and if required, draft new guidelines so that Delhi’s fire fighting system becomes swift, transparent and reliable.

The CM issued directions to the Delhi Fire Service to ensure that the process of issuing NOCs related to fire safety is transparent and seamless. The purpose of the NOC system is not to discourage business owners but to ensure public safety, she asserted

MCD seeks list of all hotels, restaurants and bars in Delhi

MCD Standing Committee chairperson Satya Sharma on Tuesday said a comprehensive inspection of all hotels, restaurants and bars in Delhi must be conducted to ensure that every establishment possesses a valid licence and complies fully with fire safety norms and all other mandatory guidelines.

Sharma directed officials to submit a zone-wise and ward-wise list of all hotels, restaurants and bars in Delhi, detailing their opening permissions/ seating capacity-related status, within five days to the Standing Committee office. She said that strict and immediate action will be taken against any establishment found operating without permission or in violation of rules.