High-rise boom puts focus on Noida’s fire preparedness

Noida and Greater Noida, among the fastest-growing urban centres in Uttar Pradesh, have become major hubs for high-rise residential and commercial developments, placing increased emphasis on fire-safety preparedness for thousands of residents and businesses.

The twin cities are home to hundreds of high-rise apartment complexes, with several buildings exceeding 100 metres in height. Noida also houses Supernova, a nearly 200-metre-tall structure and one of the tallest residential buildings in north India, highlighting the need for advanced firefighting capabilities in the region.

The Gautam Buddh Nagar Fire Department said it has strengthened its infrastructure, manpower and technology to respond to emergencies in tall buildings and is moving towards adopting global firefighting solutions.

Chief Fire Officer (CFO), Gautam Buddh Nagar, Pradeep Kumar told PTI that the department currently has 32 fire engines, nine fire stations, including three temporary ones, and four hydraulic platforms with a reach of up to 42 metres.

Two fires in Noida: 15 rescued in Sector 52, flats gutted in Sector 75 high-rise blaze

“Worldwide, fire departments do not have hydraulic platforms capable of reaching beyond 100 metres. Such platforms are not manufactured anywhere in the world. However, new technologies like compressed air foam systems are being adopted globally,” Kumar said.

He said the department has already tested compressed air foam technology at the Supernova building and proposals for eight such vehicles have been prepared.

“Once these vehicles are received, Noida’s firefighting capability will be at the global level, not just at the national level,” he asserted.

Kumar said the department is also equipped with modern tools, including thermal-imaging cameras, latest breathing-apparatus sets, dragon torches that help firefighters see through smoke, life-detection machines and seismic equipment.

“Recently, we received 50 breathing-apparatus sets, which were used during the fire incident at Ivy County in Sector 75. With the help of the breathing-apparatus sets, families were safely evacuated,” he said.

The CFO said the department has also received high-capacity water tenders of 22,000-litre capacity, which he described as among the highest-capacity firefighting vehicles in India.

“One such vehicle is equivalent to around five normal fire tenders,” he said.

On manpower, Kumar said around 250 trained and equipped personnel are currently deployed in Gautam Buddh Nagar.

“Our aim is to ensure people’s safety. We have a good response time. Our teams reach affected areas quickly and are capable of carrying out rescue operations,” he said.

The department currently has fire stations at Sector 2, Phase 1, Phase 2, Expressway and Sector 58 in Noida, while stations in Greater Noida are located at Surajpur, Ecotech 1, Ecotech 3 and Knowledge Park. Additional temporary facilities are also operational.

The department’s preparedness has come under scrutiny after a fire broke out at the Ivy County society in Sector 75 on Friday.

A video circulating on social media showed a resident raising concerns that the fire tender’s water jet was “unable to reach beyond the sixth or seventh floor”, while the blaze had occurred on the 12th floor. The fire department said the interpretation was misplaced and that the hose seen in the video belonged to the society, not the department.

The department later deployed a 42-metre hydraulic platform to bring the blaze under control. No casualties were reported.

The incident has renewed concerns among residents over whether existing firefighting infrastructure is adequate for the growing number of high-rise buildings.

“There are more than 450 residential housing projects and high-rise societies across Noida and Greater Noida. Noida alone has around 250 such projects,” said Sanjeev Kumar, a senior office-bearer of a residents’ body.

He said high-capacity fire tenders and advanced equipment are essential for tackling emergencies in tall buildings.

Similar concerns had earlier been raised by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Jewar Dhirendra Singh, who urged Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to strengthen fire-safety infrastructure in Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad.

Singh had sought the availability of high-capacity fire tenders, hydraulic platforms capable of reaching 30-40 floors, mandatory fire-safety audits and regular mock drills in high-rise buildings.

Uttar Pradesh Director General of Fire Services Sujeet Pandey said fire-safety inspections are carried out continuously across the state.

“These checks are conducted regularly. At times, we inspect schools, hotels, restaurants, hospitals and high-risk industries. The department carries out such inspections under nearly 19 different schemes,” Pandey told PTI Videos in Lucknow on Thursday.

He said the inspections focus on structural design, compliance with fire-prevention norms and the operational condition of firefighting equipment installed at establishments.

“Our teams conduct such inspections two to three times every month across the state. This is a continuous process,” Pandey said, adding that action is taken wherever violations are found.

Officials said the fire department has also launched a seven-day special inspection drive at hotels and other establishments in Gautam Buddh Nagar following a recent fire incident in Delhi.