Nehru Place: 'Designate lane for passage of fire engines & ambulances'

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Thursday directed authorities here to ensure a designated lane is earmarked for unhindered movement of fire engines and ambulances at Nehru Place where a fire incident took place in August.

A bench headed by Justice Manmohan, hearing a PIL initiated by the court on its own after taking note of the incident of fire in a building at Nehru Place, District Commercial Centre, passed the order in view of the report of a mock fire drill, which informed neither the fire engine nor the ambulance could reach the place where the blaze broke out.

The bench, also comprising Justice Navin Chawla, directed the Delhi Police, the Delhi Development Authority and the South Delhi Municipal Corporation to ensure the recommendations made in the report are implemented at the earliest.

Respondents are also directed to earmark a lane for emergency services so that the fire brigade and ambulance can reach Nehru Place at the earliest without any hindrance/obstruction. DCP (Traffic) will ensure that the said lane is not encroached upon and is always free for movement for fire brigade and ambulance, the court ordered.