Rights panel pulls up Haryana over fire-safety gaps after Hisar hotel blaze

Hisar: Taking serious note of the massive fire at a multistorey hotel in Hisar earlier this month, the Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has raised concerns over the state's fire-safety preparedness, observing the govt "cannot wait for a catastrophic incident" before strengthening emergency response systems across Haryana.Hearing a suo motu case based on reports of the May 7 fire, the commission expressed concern over the apparent lack of effective rescue mechanisms at the site. It noted that a woman employee trapped in the building allegedly jumped from the second floor to save herself and was rescued by local residents using a blanket, suffering serious injuries.The commission has sought detailed compliance reports from the Haryana chief secretary, fire and emergency services department, town and country planning department, Hisar administration and municipal corporation.Authorities have been asked to explain the status of firefighting infrastructure, availability of rescue equipment, fire safety clearances issued to the hotel, and action taken following the incident.The matter has been tagged with the commission's ongoing 2022 proceedings related to fire safety infrastructure and is scheduled for hearing on July 22.The bench, comprising Justice Lalit Batra, judicial member Kuldip Jain and member Deep Bhatia, observed that such incidents expose alarming shortcomings in fire safety infrastructure, evacuation systems and disaster preparedness in multistorey commercial buildings across Haryana.The commission said modern urban infrastructure required advanced emergency systems such as hydraulic platforms and turntable ladders for rescue and firefighting operations in high-rise buildings, hotels and commercial complexes. Referring to an earlier suo motu case pending since 2022 regarding procurement of rescue equipment, the HHRC said repeated delays in operationalising emergency infrastructure were a matter of serious concern. The commission also referred to a recent fire tragedy in Hong Kong to underline how even developed regions can face devastating consequences without effective rescue systems.