Karnataka high court sets deadline on fire safety plan for tall buildings

The high court on Monday directed the state government to come out with a notification within two weeks to prevent fire accidents in high-rise buildings. The court was hearing a public interest litigation that questioned the measures taken to ensure that high-rise buildings were safe from fire accidents.

The group filing the public interest litigation (PIL), Beyond Carlton, was formed by the family members of victims and survivors of the Carlton Tower fire tragedy in which nine people were killed and 60 injured on HAL Airport Road, Domlur, on February 23, 2010.

Beyond Carlton has sought that the director general of fire and emergency services or any other authorised person periodically inspect high-rise buildings, to ensure that all such buildings are safe from fire, and that all fire safety equipment is well maintained.

The division bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justice HG Ramesh directed the state government to come out with a notification in two weeks’ time, pertaining to the joint action plan submitted to the court by the BBMP and the department of fire and emergency services, proposing preventive measures to avoid fire accidents in tall buildings.