Jamshedpur: Owners or promoters of high-rise buildings in the steel city will now have to obtain an NOC (no-objection certificate) from the state fire services department online.

The latest move, which covers hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and cinemas, is aimed at ensuring that all buildings that are four-storey or above 15 metres in height have adequate fire safety gadgets.

Golmuri fire station officer Gopal Yadav said under the National Building Code (NBC), all high-rises over 15 metres needed to have proper safety and preventive measures in place.

They have to be equipped with a reservoir with a capacity of 50,000-1,00,000 litres, both manual and automatic pumps, water sprinkler system, smoke detector and fire extinguisher.

Yadav said over 50 per cent of the high-rises in Jamshedpur lacked fire safety measures.

"Earlier, building owners or promoters had to obtain NOCs from the fire department through the offline mode. However, many would make do without an NOC because conforming to the rules required additional time and money. Since mushrooming of high-rises in the city is a concern, it has been decided that the system of obtaining NOC will be made online," Yadav told The Telegraph.

According to the new rule, owners will have to make an online application to the state fire officer on the website www.advantage.jharkhand.gov.in.

"A site inspection will be carried out on the recommendation of the state fire officer and the NOC will be issued based on the report," Yadav said.

State fire officer R.K. Thakur said they were aware that several buildings in the steel city, especially residential complexes, were not equipped well enough to handle a fire emergency.

"We are going to implement stringent fire safety measures shortly. Those who have not followed the necessary norms will have to intimate the fire department and those who are setting up new buildings will have to conform to the new rule. Punitive action will be taken against offenders in the near future," Thakur said.