Environment ministry brings out norms for high-rise buildings

NEW DELHI: With a view to improving fire safety of high-rise buildings, the environment ministry has issued guidelines co-relating the height of the building to the width of the road.

The attempt is to ensure that fire trucks have access in the event of an emergency. The guidelines also stipulates the maximum distance from a fire station, so as to enable fire tenders to have the shortest response time in the event of an emergency.

The Expert Advisory Committee formulated these guidelines in response to the increased pace of construction of high-rise buildings in urban centres, and the recent spate of fatal fires. There has been a regular flow of proposals from states, particularly Kerala, Maharashtra and Haryana, and builders/developers for environmental clearance for high-rise projects. These regulations are over and above those requires by the fire department, the national or state disaster management authority.