The Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has been actively issuing notices to residential societies failing to meet fire safety norms following a series of major fire incidents in the city over the past month. However, an investigation reveals that the development authority's own office building is woefully unprepared for a fire emergency.
Minimal and Obsolete Fire Equipment
GDA's Navyug Market office, which houses its administrative operations, is equipped with only a dozen fire extinguishers, many of which are obsolete. Shockingly, these extinguishers have not been refilled since 2017. The building sees a daily footfall of approximately 250 individuals, including employees, residents, and officials.
History of Fire Incidents
In 2015 and 2017, the office witnessed major fires that gutted the vice chairperson's office, causing damage worth lakhs of rupees and destroying numerous important documents. Despite having an annual budget of thousands of crores, the GDA has failed to upgrade its fire safety infrastructure.
Fire Department's Concerns Unheeded
A fire department official stated, "Except for a few fire extinguishers, the GDA office building lacks even basic firefighting systems, many of which have gone obsolete. There are no hydrants, smoke detectors, or smoke alarms. We have written to GDA to upgrade its system, but nothing substantial has been done."
GDA's Response: Upgrades Underway
When questioned about these glaring deficiencies, a GDA official informed the Times of India that the authority is in the process of upgrading the fire systems. A tender worth Rs 40 lakh has been floated, and the official claimed, "The system will be in place by next month." The official also mentioned that GDA's new office building is being constructed in Madhuban Bapudham at a cost of Rs 112 crore. This new building will have two blocks (G+1 and G+7) and will be built under green building codes with a modern firefighting system. It is expected to be completed in two years.
Background of the Current Office
The current GDA office was originally a shopping complex that was converted into an office space in the late 1990s. This conversion may have contributed to the inadequate fire safety measures.
