Ramol Blast Aftermath: Fire Dept Inspects 299 Units in 2 Days, Owners Flee Fearing Action

The death toll from the devastating explosion at an illegal firecracker manufacturing factory on the Ramol-Vastral Gattrad Road has risen to 10. In the wake of the tragedy, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) alongside the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) has launched a massive, city-wide inspection drive targeting hazardous and unauthorized commercial establishments.

The joint operation, conducted by the Fire and Emergency Services alongside the Estate and Town Development Departments on 19 and 20 July, saw intense scrutiny of 299 units. The aggressive enforcement has triggered panic among factory operators, with numerous suspected illegal owners locking up their godowns and fleeing the area to evade penal action.

Midnight Raids And Mass Seizures Across Ahmedabad

Action began immediately after the tragedy, with AMC teams conducting midnight raids to seize and destroy stockpiles of illegally stored firecrackers. The momentum carried into the following days, with 147 units inspected on 19 July—resulting in 30 show-cause notices and four immediate closures—and another 152 units scrutinized on 20 July.

Civic body officials confirmed that the crackdown will continue unabated to eliminate structural and fire hazards threatening public safety. In the Central Zone alone, the civic body took the strictest action, sealing all 14 inspected units on the spot. Meanwhile, the original landowner of the blast site has used bulldozers to demolish the remaining illegal structures on the rented property.

Zonal Breakdown Of Civic Enforcement Action

The AMC released comprehensive data detailing the inspections conducted across various urban zones over the two-day period:

• Central Zone: 14 units inspected; all 14 establishments sealed immediately.
• South West Zone: 14 units inspected; three ordered to halt operations, 10 cleared of illegal firecracker storage, and one found compliant with Building Use (BU) permissions.
• North West Zone: 7 units inspected; two held valid BU permissions, while five had no hazardous materials.
• West Zone: 14 units inspected; nine cleared as authorized, while five were served notices to produce valid legal documentation within three days.
• East Zone: 14 units inspected; one manufacturing facility dismantled, four found compliant, two served notices, and seven cleared of illegal storage.
• South Zone: 18 units inspected; four units sealed or ordered to shut down, two found authorized, and 12 found operating alternative commercial activities.
• North Zone: 37 units inspected; 16 involved in other commercial activities, seven godowns checked (six authorized, one penalised with a notice), and 14 retail units targeted (two authorized, 12 ordered to shut pending further inquiry).

Opposition Demands ₹1 Crore Compensation And Judicial Accountability

The political temperature in the city has soared following the incident. A high-level delegation from the Congress party, including Ahmedabad City Congress President Sonal Patel, Haji Asrar Beg, and former corporator Shahnawaz Sheikh, submitted a formal memorandum to the Municipal Commissioner demanding accountability.

The opposition questioned how a high-risk firecracker factory could operate seamlessly for years without regulatory interference. Congress leaders have demanded an immediate ex-gratia compensation of ₹1 crore for the families of each deceased victim. The memorandum also pressed for a comprehensive criminal investigation into the systemic negligence of municipal departments and called for stringent statutory action against complicit officials to prevent future industrial disasters.