The Supreme Court has agreed to examine a petition to direct the Central and State governments to improve fire and emergency services nationwide.
A Bench, led by Justice Arun Mishra, has recently issued notice to the government on the petition filed by Sanjay Garg, who said 58 people die in fires every year. Any apathy towards improving the fire services would amount to a violation of the fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Though a model Bill to improve the fire and emergency services was published in 2017, neither the Union government nor the States had taken any step to incorporate the provisions in the law. It said three lakh people died in fire accidents between 2001 and 2014 and pointed to the death of 22 students in a fire at a Surat coaching centre.
Mr. Garg said fire-fighters were hailed as heroes in other countries, but in India they were not even given modern tools, or remuneration for the risks they ran.
The petition said building owners were usually blamed after fires, but no attention was paid to the lack of robust fire services. In most cases, fire services came under the local bodies, and funds to equip them were scarce.
“Government is duty-bound to provide for better training, tools and less response time,” the petition said.
