52 high-rises in Ghaziabad under lens for fire safety norms violation

Ghaziabad authorities say about 52 residential high-rises are facing court cases for non-compliance with fire-safety norms, while notices have been served to 139 other buildings (about 80% of which are residential). The district has around 450 high-rises, all required to maintain fully functional firefighting systems. Fire data show 921 incidents in 2021, 1,103 in 2022, 1,068 in 2023, 1,607 in 2024, and 1,437 in 2025, with 580 cases recorded between January 1 and April 29, 2026. Chief fire officer Rahul Pal said the 52 residential high-rises failed to comply with the norms, but nine have assured compliance; the other notices were issued because the buildings had not renewed their NOCs or their fire-safety systems were not functional.

District magistrate Ravinder Kumar Mandar held a meeting with 17 departments to direct officials to ensure strict compliance of fire-safety norms at high-rises, congested markets, slum clusters, and industrial units. The Ghaziabad Development Authority approved ₹100 crore to procure two hydraulic platforms capable of reaching up to 30-32 storeyed buildings; the platforms would take about a year to be inducted. Currently, the department has only one platform that can reach up to 15-17 storeys. Officials noted that developers generally obtain fire NOCs for completion certificates but face renewal challenges, while RWAs/AOAs must ensure that firefighting systems are updated and fully functional.

A massive fire erupted at Gaur Green Avenue on Wednesday, gutting eight flats and damaging others from the eighth to the 13th floors. Officials said the building’s firefighting systems were functional and updated, helping douse the fire.