Ahmedabad Fire Department Prepares 30-Point Safety Guidelines as Navratri Dome Venues Expected to Exceed 60

Ahmedabad’s Fire and Emergency Services Department has prepared a comprehensive 30-point fire safety guideline for Navratri organisers, as the number of premium and mid-level party plots featuring air-conditioned domes is expected to rise to over 60 this year, compared with around 50 last year.

Preparations for large closed structures have begun across areas including SG Highway, Sindhubhavan Road and SP Ring Road. The fire department has proposed strict conditions related to permissions, emergency exits and electrical safety to ensure the safety of garba participants and visitors.

Entry to be restricted according to venue capacity

Under the proposed guidelines, organisers will be required to allow entry strictly according to the approved capacity of the venue. Each person must be provided with a minimum space of one square metre.

Pandal organisers will also have to install at least two emergency exits positioned in opposite directions. The department is expected to officially issue the guidelines through a notification shortly.

According to fire officials, mandaps, pandals and temporary stages must be constructed at a safe distance from schools, hospitals and warehouses storing flammable materials to ensure that fire-fighting vehicles can access the site without obstruction.

Structures cannot be erected under or near furnaces, substations, transformers or high-tension railway lines. A minimum distance of two metres must be maintained between structures.

Fixed partitions will not be permitted inside pandals, while the travel distance to an exit must not exceed 15 metres. In seating arrangements, a passage measuring at least 1.5 metres in width must be provided after every 10 rows of seats.

Electrical safety and fire-retardant materials

Electrical wiring at the venue must be inspected by a government-approved engineer in accordance with the Indian Electricity Act, and organisers will be required to submit a testing report.

Electrical switchboards must be made of AC or GI sheets. Curtains and carpets used in the pandal must be treated with fire-retardant paint.

If a screen is installed to show films or other visual content, a safety film must also be displayed on the screen.

Mandatory fire safety arrangements

Organisers will be required to maintain the following safety equipment and arrangements:

• Fire extinguishers: Two ABC fire extinguishers with a capacity of 6 kg and two CO₂ fire extinguishers with a capacity of 4.5 kg for every 100 square metres.
• Water and sand: A covered drum containing 200 litres of water and two buckets filled with sand for every 100 square metres.
• Water supply: A minimum water provision of 0.35 litres per square metre of floor area.
• Trained volunteers: Volunteers trained to operate fire extinguishers must be deployed around the clock throughout the garba event.
• Safety near lamps: Sand must be placed beneath lamps lit near the idol of the goddess, with at least one volunteer present continuously.
• Public address system: A public address system must be installed to make emergency announcements.
• Safety signage: Signs reading “NO SMOKING ZONE”, “Exit” and “Emergency Exit” must be installed using autoglow material.

Licences and NOCs mandatory

In addition to fire department approval, organisers must obtain the required licences and no-objection certificates from the police, traffic department and municipal corporation.

Organisers will also have to submit a self-declaration in accordance with the Gujarat Fire Prevention Act and Part 4 of the National Building Code.

The fire department has indicated that strict action will be taken against organisers who violate the safety requirements.