Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi has directed all Deputy Commissioners to undertake a comprehensive exercise of identifying all vulnerable and high-occupancy establishments across the state, including coaching centres, paying guest accommodations, hotels, industrial units, and commercial buildings, with a view to identifying fire safety deficiencies and ensuring strict compliance with prescribed safety norms.
Rastogi directed the DCs to conduct a systematic identification and audit of such establishments in a time-bound manner in their respective districts. They were instructed to prepare a detailed list of all such premises, assess their fire safety infrastructure, and flag non-compliant establishments for immediate remedial action. He directed them to hold special meetings with industrialists, hotel owners, coaching centre operators, and commercial establishment owners to acquaint them with the do’s and don’ts of fire safety and to apprise them of the latest technologies available in fire prevention, detection and suppression.
Rastogi also directed the launch of a sustained public awareness campaign on fire safety across the state, targeting both establishment owners and the general public, to build a culture of fire consciousness and preparedness at the grassroots level. In addition, the Chief Secretary directed that Municipal Councillors and Ward Committees be actively involved in the fire safety drive at the local level, leveraging their ground-level connect with residents and commercial establishments in their respective wards to strengthen the reach and effectiveness of the awareness campaign.
He further directed the Fire Department to conduct random inspections of all identified establishments and continue regular monitoring. The Chief Secretary underlined that fire safety is a matter of life and cannot be treated as a routine compliance exercise.
Director General, Fire Services, Sh. Shekhar Vidyarthi informed that the department is in the process of procuring state-of-the-art fire-fighting equipment and advanced fire tenders equipped with robotic and drone-based technologies. These modern systems will significantly enhance the department’s capability to respond to emergencies, particularly in high-rise buildings, industrial complexes and other difficult-to-access locations.
The department is also focusing on strengthening its emergency response infrastructure and adopting modern fire-fighting practices to improve operational efficiency and reduce response time.
