New Delhi: The Delhi government has proposed extending the implementation of the third-party fire audit provisions under the Delhi Fire Service (Amendment) Rules, 2025 by another three months after receiving only a limited number of applications from private fire safety auditors.
The proposal will be sent to Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu for approval. If cleared, the government will issue a fresh gazette notification extending the transition period.
The Delhi Fire Service (Amendment) Rules, 2025 were notified on May 26, introducing a system under which empanelled third-party auditors would inspect buildings and issue or renew Fire Safety Certificates. While most amendments came into force immediately, provisions relating to fire safety certification and third-party auditors were scheduled to take effect 90 days after publication.
The Delhi Fire Service began inviting applications for registration and empanelment of auditors on July 2. However, officials said the response remained weak and the applications received so far did not meet the prescribed eligibility requirements. Earlier in August, the department had not empanelled a single auditor.
Why the rollout is facing delays
Under the amended framework, the Delhi Fire Service will no longer itself inspect buildings and issue or renew Fire Safety Certificates once the third-party system is fully operational. Property owners or occupiers will have to engage auditors from the empanelled list maintained on the DFS portal.
Officials have indicated that the responsibility attached to certifying a building’s fire safety compliance may be one factor behind the limited response from professionals. The rules also provide for penalties and possible deregistration of auditors for non-compliance or falsification.
The rules classify auditors into three levels:
- L-1 and L-2: Authorised to certify buildings up to 15 metres in height.
- L-3: Authorised to certify buildings of all heights.
- Auditors must meet prescribed educational and professional-experience requirements and undergo training at the Fire Safety Management Academy in Rohini.
The framework also requires the Delhi Fire Service to randomly inspect at least 5% of certificates issued by third-party auditors every quarter. Penalties for violations range from ₹2 lakh for L-1 auditors to ₹10 lakh for L-3 auditors.
Architects seek relaxation in eligibility norms
Architects empanelled with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the New Delhi Municipal Council have also sought changes to the eligibility requirements. They have argued that experienced architects already possess expertise in building design, construction and statutory compliance, including handling fire-related clearances.
They have sought relaxation of the requirement for an additional postgraduate qualification in fire management and life-safety auditing, saying that widening the eligibility pool could help increase the number of professionals available for empanelment.
The proposed three-month extension is therefore aimed at providing additional time for the empanelment process before the third-party fire certification system is implemented fully.
Read Also: Delhi CM Rekha Gupta Approves 1,000 Acres of Southern Ridge for Reserved Forest Notification
