Chandigarh, July 14: Fines for fire safety violations in Chandigarh have increased up to tenfold following the Union Home Ministry’s decision to extend the Haryana Fire and Emergency Services Act, 2022, to the Union Territory. The newly applied law replaces the decades-old Delhi Fire Prevention and Fire Safety Act, 1986, which had previously governed the city’s safety protocols.
Under the updated regulations, the administrative framework shifts away from court prosecutions for several key offenses. Incidents under Sections 29, 30, and 31—which cover filing false fire reports, general violations of the safety act, and corporate offenses—will no longer carry prison sentences of up to three months.
“Under the extended Act, these carry only a monetary penalty, up to Rs 1 lakh, imposed directly by the Chief Fire Officer or an officer authorised by him,” an administration official declared. Officials asserted that this shift to administrative penalties, which double for repeat violations, will streamline enforcement by bypassing magistrate court proceedings entirely.
The financial consequences for other specific violations have also been revised upward to encourage compliance. For instance, the penalty under Section 25 for drawing water without authorization during active firefighting operations has been raised from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh.
Furthermore, building owners who fail to appoint a designated fire safety officer under Section 26 will face much higher charges. The previous fee range of Rs 10 to Rs 50 per square metre has been increased to a range of Rs 100 to Rs 200 per square metre.
The transition was formally executed via a notification issued under Section 87 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966. To ensure a smooth integration into the local system, the administration applied the Haryana law with 40 specific modifications designed to align with Chandigarh’s unique administrative structure.
