Delhi's Chief Fire Officer A.K. Malik said the city's fire-safety preparedness is only average due to unplanned growth and severe staffing shortages.
These deficiencies create a high-risk environment for millions of residents. The combination of inadequate manpower and a lack of building compliance limits the ability of emergency services to respond effectively to fires in densely populated areas.
Malik highlighted a critical gap in personnel needed to protect the capital. He said the city requires more than 12,000 firefighters [1], but currently employs only about 2,500 [1]. This shortfall leaves the department struggling to cover a sprawling metropolitan area.
The physical layout of the city further complicates emergency responses. Malik said 80% of Delhi is unplanned [2], a factor that often results in congested road networks that hinder fire engines.
Compliance with safety regulations is also remarkably low. According to Malik, only five percent of buildings in the city comply with occupancy-safety norms [2]. This lack of adherence to building codes increases the likelihood of rapid fire spread and complicates evacuation efforts during emergencies.
Malik said the current state of fire-preparedness remains only average [2]. He said that the rapid, largely unplanned construction of the city has outpaced the development of safety infrastructure and the hiring of essential personnel.
“"We need more than 12,000 firefighters but have only about 2,500."”
The disparity between the required 12,000 firefighters and the actual 2,500 suggests a systemic failure in urban resource planning. When 80% of a city's infrastructure is unplanned and only 5% of buildings meet safety codes, the burden of safety shifts from prevention to reaction. This creates a dangerous cycle where the city is more prone to fires but less equipped to fight them, making the capital highly vulnerable to large-scale urban disasters.
