DCPCR asks Education dept, civic bodies to examine fire safety measure in schools

NEW DELHI: Taking cue of the Mumbai pub fire incident where 14 people were charred to death in last December, the Delhi Commission For Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) has directed State education department, all civic bodies and Delhi Cantonment Board to examine life and fire safety provisions in schools under their jurisdiction.

The Commission has asked all agencies concerned to submit a status report on the issue to it by January 15.

Additionally, DCPCR also recommended the Directorate of Education (DoE) to rectify the loophole and issue explicit instructions regarding shifting of buildings of schools that National Building Code (2005) must be applied on all schools.

The move is aimed at ensuring all fire norms in place in all schools running in the national Capital in view of the students' safety.

"This Commission directs the fire services department, directorate of education, East Delhi Municipal Corporation, South Delhi Municipal Corporation, North Delhi Municipal Corporation, New Delhi Municipal Council and Delhi Cantonment Board over students' safety to ensure that all schools are rigorously examined with regard to life and fire safety provision and file a status report to this Commission on or before January 15, 2018," the commission noted in its recent order.

It also stated that the Commission may begin the exercise of reviewing these provisions for all schools in Delhi thereafter.

In another order, the DCPCR also said, "Further, as recommended in its previous directions, this Commission recommends to the directorate of education to rectify the loophole and issue explicit instructions regarding shifting of buildings of schools that National Building Code, 2005 must be applied on all schools even in cases where school that has been in existence prior to 2011 shifts to any other building whether new or old."

The Commission has sought the compliance report from the DoE in this regard on or before January 31.