Gurugram, July 11 -- More than 66% of high-rise buildings, hotels, and other establishments inspected by the fire department over the past one month lack both the mandatory fire No-Objection Certificate (NOC) and adequate safety equipment, officials told HT. The inspections revealed a severe lack of compliance among paying guest (PG) accommodations, with 622 out of 623 surveyed operating without a valid fire NOC. Officials said notices have been issued to several of these establishments. According to fire department officials, 1,002 of the 1,517 surveyed establishments lacked fire safety clearance and mandatory safety equipment. The most common deficiencies included expired or empty fire extinguishers, non-functional fire alarm and smoke detection systems, and the absence of basic firefighting infrastructure such as sprinkler systems and water pipelines. Officials said notices have been issued to 158 high-rise buildings, including residential and commercial properties, out of the 623 inspected so far. The department has identified 1,617 high-rise buildings in Gurugram for inspection. "Most of these are residential buildings. We have given them a stipulated time period for corrective action, after which a follow-up inspection will be conducted," said Narendra Yadav, fire safety officer (FSO), Sector 29 fire station. Under the National Building Code (NBC) and the Haryana Fire and Emergency Services Act regulations, buildings taller than 15 metres must obtain a fire NOC and install essential fire safety systems, including fire extinguishers, water pipelines, fire alarms, sprinklers and smoke detectors. Yadav added that most PGs lack basic fire safety equipment, including fire extinguishers. "Notices have been issued to some, and the remaining will be served shortly." Further, officials said that of the 93 hotels inspected, 77 were found to be operating without a fire NOC, while only 16 had valid NOCs. They added that of the 153 restaurants inspected, 125 operated without a fire NOC and fire safety equipment, while 20 out of the 25 guest houses inspected lacked clearance. They added that defaulters are given a time-bound window to install required fire safety equipment and apply for or renew their fire NOC. In some cases, follow-up inspections will also be conducted depending on the nature of the case. Officials said a survey in 2024 revealed that 261 coaching centres lacked fire NOCs. In 2025, another survey found 808 commercial and residential high-rises lacking mandatory fire clearances and safety equipment. On July 9, the Supreme Court took cognisance of an HT report published on July 7, which highlighted that 93% of establishments surveyed in Gurugram were lacking adequate fire safety equipment and violating mandatory fire safety norms during the drive....