Drones for fire safety inspections in Karol Bagh: Delhi High Court

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed authorities to use drone surveillance for conducting fire safety inspection in Karol Bagh here while noting huge unauthorised construction and traffic congestion in the area.

A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Asha Menon directed the North Delhi Municipal Corporation and Delhi Fire Services (DFS) to file a joint status report on the issue by the next date of hearing on October 14.

Taking into account the "unauthorised construction and congestion due to traffic and other factors, the authorities are directed to conduct inspection through drone surveillance," the bench said. The court expressed strong exception to non-filing of status report by the NDMC and DFS, which were earlier directed to appoint nodal officers for regular interaction and communication so that fire audit is given priority.

The court said in the absence of any status report and response from the authorities, it has to assume that the nodal officer by the NDMC was not appointed on time and no steps were taken for filing the report.

"Mere assurance of coordination by the authorities is of no use," it said, and directed the two departments to conduct meeting to discuss the issue in two weeks. It remarked that how the building plan will work when half of the buildings in the area have unauthorised construction.

Taking note of fire incidents in Karol Bagh area resulting in loss of lives and goods, the High Court on July 29, had directed the NDMC to share building plans of the area with the DFS so that a fire audit can be done on priority basis.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Karol Bagh resident Neena Narang, through advocate Satyajit Sarna, regarding problems created by parking of vehicles in almost three out of four lanes in one direction on the roads in Karol Bagh, leaving only a single lane for movement of traffic.