New Delhi: Delhi govt will involve third-party experts for fire audits of every establishment in the city to ensure that there are no safety gaps. The decision was announced by home minister Ashish Sood on Thursday, a day after a massive fire in a residential-cum-commercial building in Palam killed nine people, including three children, of the same family.“Moving beyond standard protocol, we have mandated that every single establishment — including those located away in residential areas — must strictly be in pursuit of standard safety rules. To get this done with speed and precision, we have ordered that third-party experts map and audit every establishment in the city. Every worker and every family deserves to feel safe, no matter where they are. We are finishing the era of blind spots in our city’s safety,” Sood said.The inspections would look at preparedness to prevent fires and respond to emergencies. It will cover all aspects such as electrical safety, fire alarms, sprinklers, extinguishers, emergency exits and evacuation readiness, all in line with fire safety norms.“The third-party experts will be certified fire experts or affiliated agencies. They will use national fire safety standards to evaluate a property. The audit will help obtain actionable recommendations and ensure greater accountability and ultimately lead to improved safety standards,” an official said.“By expanding our reach into residential business hubs and by bringing in independent experts, we are building a secure Delhi, where safety is not compromised. We will not wait for accidents to happen; we will stop them before they start,” said Sood.Officials said a magisterial inquiry into the Palam Village fire started a day after chief minister Rekha Gupta ordered it. “A team of officials is working on the magisterial inquiry. The preliminary report is likely to be submitted soon,” an official said.After the meeting of Delhi Disaster Management Authority on Wednesday, directions were issued to conduct a fire audit across Delhi.
