India’s skyscrapers are rising, but fire safety is still stuck in the 1990s

This one line captures the paradox of modern India. While cities are racing upwards with high-rise towers, malls, metros, and chemical industries, the country’s fire safety system is outdated, underfunded, and underprepared. The result is a growing gap between development and disaster readiness — a ticking time bomb.

India’s Fire Services: Still in the Past

India has invested only ₹406 crore in fire services over the last 25 years. For a country with 1.3 billion people and thousands of urban centres, this number is shockingly low.

To put it in perspective:

• • 1995–2000: Only ₹80 crore allocated for the entire country.

• • 2000–05: ₹201 crore, still not enough for even one major metro.

• • 2009–13: Approved ₹200 crore, but only ₹176 crore was released.

• • 2014–16: ₹75 crore approved, but barely ₹30 crore reached the ground.

Globally, countries invest billions in fire safety infrastructure, training, and technology. India, meanwhile, continues with old trucks, broken hydrants, and limited manpower.

Fire Risks on the Rise, Safety on The Decline

India’s fire services are not just about firefighting anymore. They face multiple modern-day challenges:

• • High-Rise Fires: Skyscrapers and residential towers need specialized equipment and aerial rescue capabilities, which most Indian cities lack.

• • Chemical Hazards: Every day, thousands of trucks carrying hazardous chemicals move on highways. Each one is a potential moving bomb.

• • Everyday Risks: From overloaded electric wires in homes, to fire-prone malls and metros, hazards are everywhere.

Yet, the response capacity of fire departments remains weak, leaving millions at risk.

The Deadly Cost of Ignoring Fire safety Funding

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) estimated that India needs ₹7,000 crore to modernize its fire services. But only ₹404 crore has been released so far — a shocking gap of ₹6,596 crore.

Because of this shortfall:

• • Cities still lack modern breathing sets, protective suits, and fire engines.

• • Firefighters are sent to fight chemical leaks or high-rise fires with minimal tools.

• • In every large disaster, the Army is called in, but the delay in mobilization costs precious lives.

Why Fire Safety is Ignored in India

Despite repeated warnings, fire safety continues to be side-lined.

• • Treated as a formality: Fire NOCs and safety checks are often box-ticking exercises.

• • No accountability: After 2015, the central government stopped giving a separate budget for fire safety, leaving it to states with already stretched finances.

• • Plans on paper, no action: Even though cities with more than 10 lakh people were asked to prepare Fire Hazard Plans, many still haven’t.

Consequences: A Ticking Time Bomb

The situation is dangerous:

• • Every metro city is vulnerable to large-scale fires or chemical leaks.

• • Without modernization, India risks another Bhopal-like disaster.

• • With urbanization outpacing safety measures, the question is not if, but when the next big tragedy will strike.

The Way Forward: What India Needs Next

India urgently needs a long-term fire safety vision, not short-term schemes. Some key steps include:

• • ₹7,000 crore+ modernization plan to upgrade infrastructure.

• • Advanced training for firefighters in chemical disasters, high-rise rescues, and water accidents.

• • Modern gear: protective suits, breathing apparatus, high-lift ladders, fire-resistant vehicles.

• • Mandatory Fire Hazard Plans for all metro cities.

• • Centralized monitoring system for accountability and quick fund release.

Conclusion

Fire safety is not a luxury; it is survival. India loses more money and lives in fire accidents every year than it spends on prevention. Yet, the government spends billions on elections, statues, and other projects, while neglecting fire services.