Delhi govt considering lowering building height norm to strengthen fire safety measures

The Delhi government is considering revising building height limits related to the requirement of fire NOC to strengthen safety norms in view of the recent accidents. The article notes that, under Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission guidelines, power discoms can provide electricity connections to 17.5-metre-high buildings with stilt parking and 15-metre-high stilt-less buildings without fire safety NOC in the residential category. Officials say more than 95% of residential buildings bypass fire safety measures because of this guideline. Power Minister Ashish Sood states the government is reviewing the height norm to ensure tighter fire safety norms are mandatorily followed and that residential buildings below 17 metres will also have to ensure proper fire safety measures. The article also mentions disputes where applicants for electricity connections disagree with building height measurements during field inspections. It summarizes the Unified Building Bye-laws, which define how height is measured and exclude certain structures (roof tanks, ventilating apparatus, AC equipment, lift rooms, etc.) from height calculations.

Fire incidents in residential buildings in Palam and Vivek Vihar areas occurred in the period leading up to May 2026, collectively claiming 18 lives. The Vivek Vihar blaze was caused by a blast in an air conditioner unit, while the Palam fire was allegedly triggered by an electrical short circuit.