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Experts Call for Safer, Planned Slum Housing in Lucknow After Vikas Nagar Fire

  • by- Zaid
  • Apr 20, 2026
In the aftermath of the devastating Vikas Nagar fire, urban planners and architects have called for a fundamental rethink of how informal settlements and temporary housing clusters are developed and rehabilitated in the city.
Experts Call for Safer, Planned Slum Housing in Lucknow After Vikas Nagar Fire

Lucknow, April 20: Experts said the focus must be on sustainable rehabilitation without uprooting residents from their existing socio-economic networks.

Key Recommendations

In-Situ Redevelopment

Aditi Mitra Ghosh, PhD, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Kharagpur, said: "Whenever there is major construction activity, clusters of informal housing come up because labour needs to stay close to work. Ignoring this reality only leads to repeated disasters. Instead of eviction or relocation, authorities must adopt in-situ redevelopment as a long-term solution."

She warned that shifting displaced families to far-off locations disrupts livelihoods, especially for those working as domestic helps, street vendors, drivers, or daily-wage labourers.

Fire-Resilient Low-Cost Housing

Suresh Nagpal, certified urban planner from SPA Delhi, recommended:

  • Replace flammable materials (plastic sheets, cloth) with safer alternatives (insulated tin roofing, fibre cement boards)

  • Use brick or concrete block walls

  • Leave 3-6 metre-wide firebreak lanes between clusters to stop flames from spreading and allow fire tender access

Small Group Housing Model

Neha Kumari, independent urban planner from IIT Roorkee, suggested developing "small group housing" models – compact, planned clusters with essential services, safer materials, and regulated layouts – specifically designed for low-income and migrant populations.

Expert Warning

Piyali Dasgupta of Centre for Urban Disaster Studies (SPA) said: "If we rebuild the same way, we are only waiting for the next fire. But if we integrate planning, safety and livelihood needs, we can transform these vulnerable clusters into resilient communities."