New Delhi: The deadly fire at a shoe factory in Mangolpuri’s industrial area has brought the spotlight back on the issue of fire safety compliance in the city’s sprawling industrial clusters, where many factories are believed to be operating without mandatory clearances.Fire department sources said a fire safety or no-objection certificate (NOC) remained valid for three years as per Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s norms, but several factories continued to function without the mandatory clearance.Delhi Fire Services (DFS) data shows that 1,269 applications for fire safety certificates and NOCs were received from factories and industrial units between Jan 2024 and Sept 14, 2026. Of them, 300 were granted fire safety clearances, while 358 cases were flagged for shortcomings, and 611 were issued guidelines and asked to fulfil the necessary conditions before their applications could be processed further.In 2024, the department received 414 applications, of which 96 establishments were granted clearance. Another 92 were marked for shortcomings, while 226 applicants were issued guidelines. The following year, applications rose to 442, but the number of clearances fell to 78. As many as 106 cases were flagged for shortcomings, while 258 were issued guidelines.The figures for 2026, till Sept 10, show a different trend. Of the 413 applications received, 126 establishments were granted fire safety clearances, 160 were found to have shortcomings and 127 were issued guidelines.Fire officials said Delhi had at least one lakh factories and industrial units spread across various industrial and residential areas, many of which operated without even seeking fire safety clearance. They often stay outside the formal inspection and compliance mechanism, increasing the risk to workers and neighbouring properties, they added.“In Delhi, we suspect there could be around one lakh factories, and perhaps not even 1,000 of them have fire NOCs,” an official said. Most of these factories have only one staircase and are built wall to wall, with little or no gap between adjoining units. If a fire breaks out in one factory, it can quickly spread to neighbouring establishments.Former director of DFS Atul Garg said multiple factors contributed to casualties in factory fires. Even when factories have two exit gates, they are often kept locked to prevent theft, while staircases are frequently cluttered with goods, leaving little room for people to escape, he pointed out.“Factory owners try to utilise every inch of available space, often crowding premises beyond their actual capacity. A hall designed to accommodate 10 people may have twice that number working in it. Poor electrical wiring, use of multiple wires and congested layouts further increase the risk,” Garg said, adding that building approvals are often obtained for one purpose, but the premises are used for something entirely different.
