Death traps

Death traps

Delhi hotel fire tragedy shows urban planning in poor light.

In a big tragedy, a fire that broke out in the early hours of Tuesday morning at a Delhi hotel has claimed the lives of at least 17 people. This included a woman and a child who reportedly jumped from the window of the six-storeyed building to escape the inferno. Hotel Arpit Palace is located in the capital’s congested Karol Bagh area and is suspected of having flouted building bylaws. For example, there appears to have been wooden panelling in the corridors because of which occupants couldn’t use them to evacuate. Plus, there are doubts over whether the hotel had the requisite permission to construct six floors.

The Karol Bagh tragedy comes on the heels of another fire that had broken out at a Noida hospital last week, forcing the evacuation of scores of patients. Thankfully, no one was injured in that fire. However, both incidents highlight the laxity with which building bylaws are enforced in our cities. Violations and extensions are rife even as new buildings continue to come up. From severe lack of parking space to little thought given to emergency contingencies, most of our cities are turning into urban nightmares. And with migration to urban areas going up, urban infrastructure in many places is at breaking point.

Against this backdrop, there’s an urgent need to use the government’s Smart Cities Mission to undertake massive renewal of existing cities, apart from building new ones. Growing cities like Delhi need to build upwards with building bylaws being accordingly adjusted and enforced. Additionally, urban authorities need to coordinate better and make regulation tighter. Otherwise, they are creating scope for bigger tragedies. Cities like London and Tokyo were ravaged by big fires in the 17th century before they were forced to reorganise on practical lines. Indian cities shouldn’t follow the same pattern.