Top News

Days after the devastating Aliganj fire in Lucknow claimed 15 lives, authorities across Uttar Pradesh have launched an unprecedented crackdown on coaching centres, libraries and other educational institutions, sealing dozens of establishments found violating fire safety and building regulations.

The sweeping enforcement drive, led by district administrations, fire departments, development authorities and police teams, has exposed widespread non-compliance with safety norms, raising concerns about the condition of educational facilities frequented by thousands of students.

In Lucknow, joint teams from the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA), the fire department and the electricity department intensified inspections of coaching centres and commercial establishments. A major coaching institute in Viraj Khand, Gomti Nagar, was sealed after officials discovered multiple violations.

LDA zonal in-charge Devansh Trivedi said classes were underway when inspectors arrived. "We found encroachment in the setback area, deviations from the sanctioned building plan and dead-end portions within the structure. In an emergency, students and occupants would have struggled to evacuate safely," he said.

Officials found serious deficiencies in fire-fighting arrangements and building safety measures, prompting immediate sealing of the premises. At least six coaching institutes were sealed in Lucknow's Aliganj-Kapoorthala area alone, while several others were served notices for failing to produce approved building plans and mandatory documents.

The crackdown extended to Bahraich, where surprise inspections were carried out by joint teams comprising police, revenue, education and fire department officials on the directions of district magistrate Akshay Tripathi.

Chief fire officer Vishal Ramanuj Gaur said seven libraries inspected on Wednesday were found closed, while several coaching institutes had shut operations amid the inspections. Some functioning centres were ordered to vacate their premises until compliance with safety standards could be ensured.

Officials examined fire safety registrations, emergency exits, entry and exit routes, building maps and coaching licences. They also verified whether premises used as coaching centres had approval for commercial use and adequate staircases and evacuation facilities.

In Mathura, district authorities launched a special enforcement drive after an emergency review meeting chaired by district magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh. More than two dozen establishments — including coaching centres, libraries, hotels and guest houses — were sealed.

Officials said six coaching centres, four libraries and two hotels in Mathura, along with 16 guest houses in Vrindavan, were shut down for operating without adequate safety measures, approved building plans or mandatory registrations. Authorities also targeted institutions operating from basements and underground premises without proper safeguards.

City magistrate Anupam Mishra revealed that only 57 of nearly 300 coaching centres in Mathura were officially registered.

In Aligarh, district magistrate Avinash Kumar constituted a joint inspection committee to verify fire safety compliance in schools, coaching centres, libraries, hospitals, malls, cinema halls and multi-storey buildings.

A similar drive was launched in Jalaun district, where more than a dozen coaching institutes in Orai town were sealed. District magistrate Rajesh Kumar Pandey said inspections uncovered widespread violations, including operation without mandatory permissions, absence of fire safety systems, inadequate emergency exits and unsafe building conditions.

"Five joint teams have been formed to inspect coaching institutes and hospitals. Strict action will continue against establishments operating without legal permission, from basements or in violation of safety norms," Pandey said.

Superintendent of police Vinay Kumar Singh stressed that authorities would make no compromise on student safety.

In Gautam Buddha Nagar, authorities sealed nine coaching institutes for operating without valid registration and shut a hotel for failing to comply with fire safety requirements. Notices were also issued to 12 institutions over safety deficiencies. Officials said 66 establishments had been inspected since Tuesday, with further action underway against centres with non-compliant fire safety systems.

Meanwhile, Ghaziabad district magistrate Ravindra Kumar Mandad directed officials to strictly enforce fire safety regulations in high-rise buildings, schools, hospitals, malls, coaching institutes and industrial units.

"Fire safety standards must be complied with fully. Violations will invite sealing and punitive action," he warned during a disaster management review meeting.

Authorities across Uttar Pradesh said inspections would continue in the coming days as the state seeks to prevent a repeat of the Aliganj tragedy, which has triggered a renewed focus on safety standards in educational institutions and public buildings.

With PTI inputs