NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court ruled Wednesday that it cannot issue orders on an “omnibus” plea concerning hazardous cage-like iron grille enclosures and illegal projections in residential buildings. These structures reportedly hinder evacuation and rescue efforts during emergencies. Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia stated, “It’s akin to asking for the eradication of poverty in India. Such broad requests are beyond our scope; the petition needs to provide specific instances.”
The court directed the MCD commissioner to make an informed decision regarding a pending representation from the same petitioner.
Petitioner Ashish Jain highlighted that frequent residential fire incidents in Delhi reveal severe safety issues, with casualties resulting not only from fires but also smoke-filled buildings, enclosed balconies, iron grilles, and obstructed escape routes.
The petition references multiple fire tragedies, including the May 3 blaze in Vivek Vihar, which claimed nine lives as individuals became trapped in a smoke-filled residential building, and a March fire in Palam that killed nine family members.
