New Delhi, March 20 -- The fatal fire in southwest Delhi's Palam Colony on Wednesday, which claimed the lives of nine members of a family, has again brought into focus the safety challenges inherent in the Capital's mixed land use (MLU) areas - designated zones where residential buildings legally host commercial activities, but where infrastructure often fails to keep pace with the resulting density and hazards.

The tragedy occurred in a multistorey residential-cum-commercial building in Ram Chowk, an area notified for MLU under Delhi's Master Plan 2021. While the buildingitself met required provisions, according to officials working on the investigation, the surrounding lane presented classic rescue challenges typical of MLU streets acr...