Fire Safety of Urban Villages in Noida: Gap Identification in Policies and Building Norms

In recent times, India has witnessed many catastrophic fire incidents that have caused a considerable and irrecoverable loss of lives and property. The National Crime Records Bureau 2020 data shows that 9329 cases of fire were reported of which 9110 people died across the country. The residential buildings accounted for 57.7% of these fires. With the rapid urban agglomeration, rural villages across sub-cities of Delhi have been swamped in this process and acquired urban character, resulting in an array of challenges with increased fire risks. The growth of Noida has been exponential in the last two decades and most of the villages have been urbanized. The urban villages in Noida are often characterized by high-density, mixed-use development, unregulated buildings, and a lack of infrastructure. Due to these conditions, the inhabitants become more vulnerable to cases of fire as compared to planned areas of the city. The authorities also lay down ambiguous norms that are not mapped effectively with the existing situation and growth pattern of the urban villages. The policies also lack in providing efficient solutions to upgrade the existing conditions essential for safe living conditions in such villages. This study examines the gaps in the existing Indian policies and building norms for the urban villages in Noida which transpires them to become susceptible to urban fires. This study can help urban planners, policymakers, building authorities, and other community organizations to plan safe living conditions for the residents of urban villages in Noida by ensuring their resilience toward incidents of fire.