System still not awakened even after 2019… Administration rushed to act only after fire broke out in hotel; why does action only come to mind after an accident?

Delhi Hotel Fire: A fire in a Delhi hotel has claimed the lives of 21 people. The main cause is negligence of rules. The system in Delhi was supposed to keep a vigilant watch, but no one noticed how a five-story building was constructed. Instead of 6 rooms, 25 rooms were built. Every part of the system turned a blind eye. Only when 21 people were burned alive, and over 15 people were hospitalized, did the administration wake up and take action. It is mandatory for every hotel to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Fire Department, as well as approval from the Environment Department. However, the hotel ‘Flourish Stay B&B’ did not have a Fire NOC. This is not the first time a hotel in Delhi has operated without a Fire NOC.

In 2019, a fire broke out at ‘Hotel Arpit Palace’ in Karol Bagh, killing 17 people. The action taken now after the accident is similar to what was done then. The Fire Department inspected hotels, and licenses of 57 hotels in Karol Bagh alone were canceled. But the question remains: why is action only taken after an accident? Did the Delhi Fire Service take action in 2019 against the officials who failed to inspect the death trap that was Hotel Arpit Palace in time? After the accident, investigators sought permission to question officials from the MCD and Delhi Fire Service, but there is no record of any action being taken against those officials. So, it is fair to say that while action was taken against hotel operations, no action was taken to fix the responsibility of the officials.

Irregularities in Hotels and Clubs

If such action had been taken in 2019, the accident in Malviya Nagar in 2026 would not have occurred. Therefore, this is not negligence or disregard for rules. This is a crime. This is a sin that endangers the lives of ordinary people. According to reports, there are over 1,000 hotels, clubs, and restaurants in Delhi. This number could be higher, but government figures put it at just 1,000. Out of these 1,000, only 52 hotels and 38 clubs have a Fire NOC issued by the Delhi Fire Service. That means only about 9 percent of hotels and clubs have a Fire NOC. Hotels, clubs, restaurants, and bars with a covered area of more than 90 square meters are required to have a Fire NOC. When issuing a Fire NOC, 20 things are checked, including exit points, smoke management, fire extinguishers, alarms, sprinklers, and building plans. If the Delhi Fire Service had properly inspected ‘Flourish Stay B&B’, 21 lives could have been saved, but no inspection was carried out. As a result, a hotel opened in a narrow lane of a crowded area. There was only one way out in case of fire, so people could not escape the building.

The Business of Greed in the Name of Hotels

Mahatma Gandhi said that the earth can satisfy everyone’s needs, but not anyone’s greed. This is a business of greed in the name of hotels. This business of greed is not limited to Malviya Nagar in Delhi. It is spread across cities. People are being pushed into the jaws of death in the name of providing comfortable rooms. Today, an accident happened in Delhi. Tomorrow, it could happen in UP, Bihar, or any other city in the country. It is difficult to estimate how many such death traps exist in the country. But the question is: why do they exist? Because the administration and responsible officials have turned a blind eye. They themselves stay in five-star, seven-star hotels, where every facility and safety measure is in place. But what about the common person who stays in such budget hotels? Is it their fate to become victims of accidents? Is their life worth nothing? Today, we will only say that rules must be followed. Because this entire system is designed for that ordinary Indian citizen who is being neglected.