Around 40,000 residents living in apartments across Lucknow are facing a serious safety risk as fire hydrant systems installed in many buildings are either non-functional or poorly maintained. The issue spans several parts of the city, including Gomti Nagar, Gomti Nagar Extension and Jankipuram Extension, where multiple apartments have faulty fire systems. Similar concerns have also been raised in Nehru Enclave and Mansarovar Yojana (Sector-P, Kanpur Road).
Older Localities Also Affected
In older localities, problems were noted in Burlington Colony in Hussainganj and Nazarbagh. Additionally, Siyawati Residency in Telibagh was also found to lack basic fire safety arrangements, a reality check by TOI found. Only Shipra and Greenwood apartments in Gomti Nagar Extension have working systems, which were repaired by residents themselves after the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) failed to make them operational.
Handover Issues and Lack of Maintenance
Most of these apartments were built by LDA and handed over to the Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) between 2010 and 2017. Residents said that at the time of handover, the fire systems were either not tested or were incomplete. “In our apartment, the fire hydrant system was installed but never maintained or tested, which led to damage later,” said Vivek Sharma from Shristi Apartment, Jankipuram Extension. Residents of several apartments said they were never told how the system works, and no proper checks were carried out. Ravi Tripathi from Sargam Apartment of Jankipuram said even basic equipment like hose reels has not been installed for years, and water leakage from pipelines remains unresolved.
Residents' Complaints and Self-Funded Repairs
Highlighting the issue, Prabhat Chandra Agarwal, president of Sunrise Apartment Welfare Society (SAWS), Kanpur Road, said, “The entire fire safety system in our society is defunct. Pumps, pipelines and hydrants are either missing or not working. Despite repeated complaints, no action has been taken, leaving residents at risk during any fire emergency.” In contrast, residents of Shipra Apartment, Gomti Nagar, spent around Rs 14 lakh to fix their system. RWA president, Sanjay Banerjee said they now have regular checks, fire drills, working sprinklers in the basement and proper water pressure on all floors.
Other Areas with Problems
Problems are also reported in other areas. In Gomti Nagar’s Nehru Enclave, Anju Varshney said no fire safety system was provided, and authorities passed responsibility after the handover. Ajay Maurya from Sulabh Apartment shared a similar concern. In Burlington Colony, Hussainganj, home to around 300 people, there are no fire extinguishers despite two fire incidents during the Covid period. At Nazarbagh Apartment, a fire extinguisher is present but not working. “Short circuits are common in summer. Without a working extinguisher, even the first response is uncertain,” said resident Afifa Qureshi.
LDA Response
When contacted, LDA vice-chairman Prathmesh Kumar said apartments that have not yet been handed over to RWAs will be inspected and repaired. “It is not our responsibility to fix systems in apartments already handed over, as they were given in working condition,” he said.
