Odisha’s fire and emergency services found that 3,404 of 4,596 government and private buildings inspected across the state failed to meet mandatory fire safety standards, exposing widespread gaps in emergency preparedness across hospitals, malls, apartments, schools and other high-footfall premises.
The month-long inspection drive, conducted between September 15 and October 14, found that only 1,192 buildings complied with the prescribed norms. The remaining 74% had one or more deficiencies that could compromise safety during a fire or another emergency, according to data accessed by the Times of India.
The inspections covered hospitals, shopping malls, residential apartment buildings, educational institutions, business units, mercantile buildings and places of public assembly. Fire officials issued notices to the non-compliant establishments and directed their owners or managers to take immediate corrective measures.
The deficiencies identified during the exercise included expired or invalid fire safety certificates, inadequate escape routes, non-functional fire detection and alarm systems, insufficient firefighting equipment and electrical safety lapses. Officials also found shortcomings in fire-protection infrastructure, access for fire service vehicles and emergency preparedness measures.
The findings highlight the operational risks created when buildings are occupied without fully functioning life-safety systems. In dense urban premises such as apartments, hospitals and commercial buildings, evacuation routes, alarms, firefighting equipment and fire service access are intended to support both prevention and emergency response. The inspection data shows that these measures were not uniformly in place across the buildings examined.
Director General of Odisha Fire and Emergency Services Sudhanshu Sarangi said the objective of the drive was to improve compliance rather than simply identify violations. “Our objective is not finding faults. The focus is on sensitising building owners and managers to urgently bridge the gaps identified during inspections,” he said.
Sarangi said officials had identified fire-risk premises, assessed their compliance with prescribed norms and advised stakeholders to strengthen prevention and emergency response mechanisms. The department’s approach therefore combines statutory action with directions for corrective work and awareness among building owners and managers.
Inspector General of Police Uma Shankar Dash said the drive, conducted under the banner of ‘Surakshit Odisha, Vikashit Odisha’, focused on physical verification of fire and life-safety measures. It also aimed to spread awareness among stakeholders, strengthen digital monitoring systems and initiate statutory action where necessary.
The statewide findings come days after Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi told the Odisha Assembly on September 28 that only 17 of 241 government healthcare institutions required to obtain fire safety certificates possessed valid certification. That disclosure points to a specific compliance gap in public healthcare facilities, where patients may face additional evacuation challenges during emergencies.
The fire services said follow-up inspections and awareness drives would continue. Authorities are expected to focus on whether establishments address the deficiencies recorded during the inspections and improve preparedness against potential fire hazards across Odisha.
