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Advocate Pankaj Sinha, representing the NGO, informed the court regarding a fire incident in Neb Sarai Basti which resulted in the tragic loss of life of a 12-year-old girl.
The Delhi High Court, on Monday, directed the Fire Department to submit a report on whether basic safety measures could be implemented in slums and JJ clusters. The bench of Acting Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela disposed of the petition with directions.
The petitioner, an NGO named Alliance for Peoples Rights, filed a public interest litigation seeking the formulation and implementation of comprehensive guidelines for the safety of slum dwellers across various parts of Delhi. It was argued that the said tragedy could have been avoided if there was adequate infrastructure for the fire brigade to access JJ clusters.
The petitioner further argued that the delay was caused due to narrow and congested lanes which prevented the fire brigade from entering and managing the fire. The petitioner has highlighted the consequences of now having adequate infrastructure for dealing with such incidents.
It was also contended that the JJ clusters do not have roads or lanes for the fire department to access different areas of the cluster and take affirmative action on time.
The court noted that there is a requirement for proper construction guidelines. In the present case, JJ clusters are built without following any guidelines. Therefore, the court deemed it appropriate to direct the fire department to examine if it is feasible to implement the basic level of safety for the residents of JJ clusters at least by clearing a path to access the various areas of the cluster.
Case Title: Alliance For People Rights v Government Of NCT (W.P.(C)-17318/2024)
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