A Supreme Court bench comprising of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra, Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud, asked the central government to ensure that the National Building Code for construction be implemented strictly. The matter came into light when a PIL was filed by an NGO United Human Rights Federation highlighting the rampant violation of the guidelines and the risks associated with it due to such violations. The petitioners further argued that many important structures do not even implement basic safety features such as fire safety measures and provisions for emergency exits.
The PIL cited the data of National Crime Records Bureau in 2014. According to which, a total of 20,377 cases of fire accidents were reported in the country during 2014, which injured 1,889 persons and caused 19,513 deaths. The petitioner further stated that the builders are nowadays constructing the buildings in a very haphazard manner in the name of cost cutting. Illegal construction in schools, universities and educational institutes, even airports, are also on higher risk of inevitable tragedies.
The National Building Code of India 2016 mandates for fire safety and other safety measures depending upon the structure of buildings. The court has asked the central government to ensure that the guidelines are implemented. The matter has been posted for 9th April for hearing.
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