Delhi Notifies New Fire Safety Rules, Tightening Standards for Buildings

Delhi has amended its fire safety rules, introducing a wider set of minimum prevention and protection measures for buildings, including clear access for fire engines, smoke barriers, emergency power systems and dedicated fire control rooms.

The Delhi Fire Service (Amendment) Rules, 2026, were notified by the city government's Home Department on August 28 and will link fire safety requirements more directly to the updated Unified Building Bye-Laws, according to PTI.

The revised framework comes after a series of fire tragedies in the capital in recent months. Among them was the Malviya Nagar hotel fire in June, which claimed 23 lives, most of them foreign nationals, according to the ETRealty report citing PTI.

Under the amended rules, the fire prevention and safety standards applicable to a building will depend on its height and occupancy category and will be governed by the Building Bye-Laws.

Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood said the revised rules bring in mandatory measures ranging from six-metre clear access routes for fire engines to automated monitoring systems, sprinklers and dedicated emergency power backups.

The framework identifies 18 categories of fire safety measures that may be considered while issuing fire safety certificates and no-objection certificates through the Delhi Fire Service and third-party auditors.

Among the requirements are protected exits through fire-check doors or pressurisation systems, fire and smoke barriers, fire stops and smoke management systems. Buildings may also need to provide fire extinguishers, hose reels, automatic fire detection and alarm systems, public address or voice evacuation systems, and sprinkler and fire suppression systems, depending on the applicable standards.

The rules also cover internal and external firefighting infrastructure, including wet risers, down-comers, yard hydrants, ring mains, fire pump houses and dedicated water storage for firefighting.

Other measures include clearer exit signage, floor numbering and reflective markings in corridors leading to exits. Fire towers, fire lifts and refuge areas also form part of the prescribed safety framework.

Emergency power has been specifically addressed for critical life-safety systems, including fire pumps, smoke-venting and pressurisation systems, emergency lighting, fire alarms, public address systems and fire command centres.

The amended rules also provide for fire control rooms equipped with automated continuous monitoring systems.

For buildings where specific fire prevention measures are not laid out in the Building Bye-Laws, the director of the Delhi Fire Service may require owners or occupiers to adopt additional measures based on standards prescribed by the fire prevention wing.

The government has retained the power to relax, modify or remove certain requirements for specific classes of buildings or occupancy in special areas.

The new rules will take effect when the amended Unified Building Bye-Laws, 2016, are notified by the Delhi Development Authority. Applications already pending when the new framework comes into force will continue to be processed under the rules that applied on the date they were submitted.

For Delhi's building owners, developers and occupants, the changes signal a move towards more detailed and closely monitored fire safety requirements. The effectiveness of the overhaul, however, will ultimately depend on enforcement and compliance across both new and existing buildings.