Buildings being constructed under the ambitious Central Vista redevelopment project will have a robust fire safety system in place, with the Delhi Fire Service giving its clearance to seven proposals in the last two years for structural plans that include a new prime minister’s office and a new Parliament building, officials said.
They said that the stairwell pressurization system, which is a mechanical ventilation, will also be in place in buildings like a new Parliament building, a new PMO building, amenity block and common central secretariat, besides Rajpath. Most of the buildings under the Central Vista project have been divided into fire sub-compartments having fire resistant walls on all sides including top and bottom, which will help them contain fire within its origin, according to fire safety officials.
Delhi Fire Service Director Atul Garg said,”All due precautions have been taken with reference to the fire safety system of the buildings. Officials said that DFS’s recommendations include an internal road for fire tenders movement besides provisions for a fire check door for the protection of exits and staircases. The buildings under the Central Vista redevelopment project will have state-of-the-art technology as far as the fire safety is considered. We have tried to provide the best infrastructure for the fire safety system. This is going to have in-built fire safety systems with a setup of a huge fire control room as well.”
The redevelopment project of the Central Vista — the nation’s power corridor — envisages a new triangular Parliament building, a common central secretariat, the revamping of the three-kilometer-long Rajpath from Vijay Chowk to India Gate, a new prime minister’s residence and a prime minister’s office, and a new vice president’s enclave.
Sanjay Kumar Tomar, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, said, the major recommendations include a fire safety arrangement, escape route and means of accessing and exiting the building in terms of number, width, type and arrangement of sufficient exits. The proposals were cleared by the DFS after the building designs were presented for approval by the government. Each of the seven proposals consist of plans for more than two buildings which were cleared between 2020 and 2022. “Various in-built fire-fighting arrangements have also recommended to be installed in the buildings such as a fire exit, a hose reel, a wet riser, hydrants, an automatic sprinkler system, internal hydrants and yard hydrants, pumping arrangements, and captive water storage for fire-fighting. “Automatic fire detection and alarming system, manual-operated electric fire alarm system and a public address system have been recommended in accordance with National Building Code of India Chapter 4 on fire and fire safety. “All the recommendations suggested are being followed and implemented in the building designs which had altered,” the officer said.
Fire compartmentation, protection of exits through fire check doors, fire resistant material for construction of buildings as per unified by laws 2016 were also made to be incorporated in the design of the buildings, he said. The buildings will also have a smoke management system — a very important provision to control smoke in case of fire, the fire officials said.
The buildings provide safe passage for the occupants and also facilitate fire-fighters to locate the origin of fire. This helps in controlling fire early leading to less damage, Tomar said. Earlier this month, a CPWD official had said that all-out efforts are being made to finish the remaining work of the new Parliament building so that the Winter Session is held there.
