India, Sept. 21 -- The number of health trade licences issued in Delhi has surged since the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) eased its norms after the Hauz Rani fire, but a bulk of these have been handed out in areas barred from being issued these licences under the old rules, according to senior municipal officers, a move that experts said turns the onus on establishments to self-regulate and cuts the civic body's burden on enforcement.

About two-thirds of the 2,091 licences issued since June 7, when licensing moved to the new regime - around 1,400 units - went to "non-conforming areas", said a senior municipal official aware of the matter.

"The total number of licences has almost doubled as compared to the same cycle in the previo...