Only three restaurants near Satya Niketan and Moti Bagh have fire clearances, officials say

Only three restaurants in the Satya Niketan-Moti Bagh area have fire safety no-objection certificates, while an initial survey has found at least 20 other multi-storey buildings that appear to require one but have never applied, officials said.

The scrutiny follows the collapse of a five-storey PG building at P-14, Satya Niketan, where seven people were killed. The property, on a 55-square-yard plot, had a basement and four upper floors; MCD records cited no sanctioned building plan and unauthorised construction in the basement. The collapse prompted rescue operations over several days.

Delhi Fire Service rules require fire clearance for structures taller than 17.5 metres and eateries seating more than 50 people, among other establishments. Officials said many five- and six-storey PGs, hostels, coaching centres and libraries in Satya Niketan, South Campus and Moti Bagh cross that height threshold.

PGs and hostels do not need a specific government licence or registration, officials said, making them harder to identify for inspections than licensed hotels and restaurants. Delhi Fire Service is working with MCD and other departments to check such premises, while police have asked local staff to flag buildings that appear unsafe or unauthorised for possible MCD action.