Fire NOC in Haryana — Fire Scheme Approval & Fire Safety Certificate

Section 18(2) of the Haryana Fire and Emergency Services Act, 2022 lists them. All high-rise buildings need it, except residential buildings up to 16.5 metres. So do hotel, educational, institutional, business, mercantile, industrial, storage, hazardous and mixed-use buildings with more than 500 square metres on any floor, educational and institutional buildings 9 metres or taller, all assembly buildings, buildings with over 300 square metres of incidental assembly use on a floor, and buildings with two basements or one basement over 500 square metres. We check your building against each clause.

The provisional fire NOC is the approval of the fire fighting scheme under Section 18, taken before construction on the basis of drawings. The final fire NOC is the fire safety certificate under Section 19, issued after the building and its fire systems are inspected. You need the first before you build and the second before you occupy.

The fire safety certificate is valid for three years for high-rise and special buildings, and five years for residential buildings above 16.5 metres, under Section 19(4). Each renewal under Section 20 is valid for three years. Fire fighting scheme approval has its own validity: five years for high-rise buildings and two years for special buildings. We track both dates so nothing lapses quietly.

Not under Section 18(2) if the building stays below every limit: it is not a high-rise, has no more than 500 square metres on any floor, stays within the basement limits and has no assembly use. But Section 18(1) still requires every owner or occupier to provide and maintain fire fighting installations and life safety measures under the National Building Code. We measure your building against each limit with you before you decide.

No. Section 19(5) says that, notwithstanding any other state law, no authority empowered to issue an occupation certificate for these buildings shall issue it unless the fire safety certificate provisions are complied with. So the fire safety certificate comes before the occupation certificate. We plan the fire inspection into your completion schedule, so the occupation certificate is not held up.

If the addition or alteration goes beyond what the Haryana Building Code, 2017 permits, the fire safety certificate ceases to exist under Section 19(6). You must then apply for approval of a revised fire fighting scheme under Section 18. The same rule applies to a renewed certificate under Section 20(4). Tell us before the work starts, and we will get the revised scheme approved in time.

Every year, the owner or occupier must give a self-declaration that the fire fighting system installed in the building is working in good condition and that there has been no addition or alteration. This is required by Section 19(6), and again by Section 20(4) after renewal. The Fire Officer may check buildings at random. We send you a reminder and the declaration format each year.

Under Section 30, contravening the Act can lead to imprisonment of up to three months, a fine of up to ₹10,000, or both, with up to ₹1,000 a day for a continuing offence. Failing to appoint a Fire Safety Officer within 30 days of a notice attracts ₹10 to ₹50 per square metre each month under Section 26. Staying compliant costs far less than either.

The officer handling the application inspects the building under Section 19(2), checking the fire safety installations and means of escape against the approved scheme. The officer reports to the Director or an authorised officer, who grants or rejects the certificate with reasons. Renewal under Section 20(2) involves a fresh inspection. We walk the site with you beforehand, so there are no surprises on the day.