Gurgaon: In the wake of the recent fire at the district court complex, the district administration has ordered a fire safety audit of the mini secretariat and other major govt buildings.Officials said the incident exposed serious gaps in fire preparedness, with most govt establishments currently operating without a valid fire no-objection certificate (NOC). The audit will examine fire-fighting equipment, electrical systems, evacuation routes and structural vulnerabilities to identify and address safety lapses.The district court complex, which was damaged in the recent blaze, also did not have a fire NOC. Several other govt establishments in the city similarly lack the mandatory clearance, including the HUDA office, mini secretariat, office of the police commissioner, new courts complex, RPF complex, divisional commissioner’s office, district prisons and the PWD guest house, where a temporary court has been set up after the fire.According to fire department officials, a fire NOC is issued only after an application is submitted. “The NOC is given only when someone applies for it. In many cases, it was never sought,” a fire department official said, adding that the department does not usually conduct inspections on its own to check compliance.Under the Haryana Fire Services Act, 2009, buildings taller than 15 metres are required to obtain a fire NOC. Failure to do so is punishable under the Haryana Fire Services Act, 2005. Responsibility for obtaining the clearance lies with the owner, occupier or beneficiary of the building.The issue has also highlighted infrastructure and access problems around the mini secretariat. Officials said severe traffic congestion outside the complex could delay emergency response during a crisis. The narrow approach road from Rajiv Chowk to the mini secretariat remains heavily congested during office hours, often taking commuters 30-40 minutes to cover the short stretch.The mini secretariat houses key offices, including those of the deputy commissioner and DCP (West), while the adjacent district court complex sees thousands of visitors every day. Residents said the high footfall, lack of organised parking and encroachments inside and outside the premises have worsened congestion.“If there is a fire, a tender won’t be able to reach the building easily,” said Sumit Kumar, a resident of Sector 40.Traffic concerns around the complex had come into focus earlier this year as well. In Feb, a bus carrying senior bureaucrats from Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso was caught in a massive traffic jam outside the mini secretariat, forcing the delegation to get down and walk to the venue. The officials were visiting the city under a National Centre for Good Governance programme on public service delivery and governance.Govt schools in the district also remain without fire NOCs. The city has around 592 govt schools — including 49 higher secondary, 69 senior secondary, 99 middle and 375 primary schools — attended by nearly 1.16 lakh students.
