Telangana’s Fire Department has issued specialised fire and life safety guidelines for data centres, setting detailed requirements for provisional Fire No Objection Certificate applications as the state prioritises new digital infrastructure. The circular is intended to speed up NOC processing while ensuring that facilities meet fire prevention and emergency response standards.
Telangana Fire, Disaster Response, Emergency and Civil Defence Department Director General Vikram Singh Mann issued the guidelines through a circular on October 28, officials said in a release. The requirements will apply to applications for provisional Fire NOCs submitted on or after November 6.
The department said the guidelines take into account the operating conditions of data centres, including the smaller number of occupants compared with a conventional business building. At the same time, these facilities contain large volumes of electrical and mechanical equipment that operate continuously and require uninterrupted power, cooling and communications systems.
The specific risks identified by officials include UPS systems, batteries, transformers, generators, fuel storage and extensive cable networks. The guidelines require fire detection and alarm systems, suitable fire suppression systems, compartmentation, firefighting shafts, wet risers, refuge areas and adequate firefighting water storage and pumping facilities.
Automatic sprinkler systems have been prescribed for administrative areas. Technical areas, where sensitive servers and equipment are housed, will require suitable water-mist or clean-agent gas suppression systems. The department has also placed specific emphasis on battery, UPS, transformer and switchgear rooms and other critical electrical installations.
Applicants will need to provide comprehensive fire risk assessments, adequate ventilation, fire-rated separation and emergency shutdown arrangements. Protection measures will also be required for fuel storage and other high-risk areas. The circular includes conditions relating to basement levels and the protection of critical infrastructure within data-centre premises.
The guidelines also require fire detection and suppression systems to be integrated with relevant building management and emergency systems. Data halls and other critical areas must be kept free of combustible materials, including cardboard, packaging materials, wooden pallets and waste, officials said.
Data centres are increasingly important to the operation of digital services, but their infrastructure creates a distinct fire-safety challenge. A failure in a server or electrical room can affect not only the building but also the continuity of data, communications and other services dependent on the facility. The new requirements therefore combine building-level protection with safeguards for equipment and operational continuity.
The department said the initiative is intended to strengthen fire prevention, improve emergency preparedness and ensure compliance with prescribed fire and life safety standards across Telangana. It also said faster scrutiny of applications would support the state’s objective of promoting data-centre investment while maintaining safety requirements.
Scrutinising officers have been instructed to verify compliance with the approved fire safety design and the conditions specified in the circular. The next operational milestone is the application of the guidelines to provisional Fire NOC applications submitted from November 6.
