26. (1) Without prejudice to the provisions of National Building Code of India, Building Bye-laws of respective entity authorities, any other law or Bye-Law, the owner or the occupier, who are either individually or jointly responsible, of a building as classified by regulations or part thereof, shall provide fire prevention and life safety measures therein:
Provided that the owner or the occupier, as the case may be, shall,-
(i) provide minimum fire-fighting and life safety installations as provided in the Bye-Laws;
(ii) maintain the fire prevention and life safety measures in operational condition at all times, in the manner and specifications specified in Bye-Laws.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in any State law for the time being in force, no authority empowered to issue the occupancy certificate, shall issue the same, unless it is satisfied that the owner or the occupier, either individually or jointly, has complied with the provision as given in sub-section (1) of this section.
(3) Without prejudice to the existing Building Bye-laws applicable and enforcement of bye-laws by the State, following buildings shall obtain ‘Fire Safety Certificate’ from Fire and Emergency Services;
(i) Multi-storied buildings having more than 15 meters height;
(ii) Special buildings like educational, institutional, assembly, business, mercantile, industrial, storage and hazardous buildings as defined in National Building Code as amended from time to time;
(iii) Mixed occupancies with any of the aforesaid occupancies having more than 500 square meter covered area.
(4) Owners of Buildings, under sub-section (3), shall ensure that such multistoried or special buildings be equipped with fire prevention, fire and life safety and fire protection system to prevent or extinguish fire as per the prescribed rules.
(5) The owner or occupier, as the case may be, shall furnish to the Fire Officer, a certificate in the prescribed form issued by a qualified agency regarding the compliance of the fire prevention , fire and life safety measures and fire protection measures in his building or part thereof, as required by or under the provisions of this Act, and shall also furnish to the Fire Officer a certificate in the prescribed form twice a year in the months of January and July regarding the maintenance of fire protection system in good repair and efficient condition as specified in sub-section (1) of this section.
(6) No person other than the qualified agencies, as specified in the National Building Code of India or rules made under this Act, shall carry out the work of providing fire prevention and life safety measures or performing such other related activities required to be carried out in any place or building or part thereof.