In the aftermath of the Rajkot fire tragedy, the Gujarat High Court had issued orders to review the fire safety measures in the state’s schools. The state government has now submitted an affidavit detailing the fire safety status in schools, including Fire No Objection  Certificates (NOCs). The shocking revelation is that 11,451 schools in the state do not have Fire NOCs.

A detailed report on the fire safety measures in pre-primary to higher secondary schools across the state was presented to the high court. It revealed that out of 55,344 schools inspected for fire safety, 11,451 schools did not have Fire NOCs.

Additionally, 43,893 schools made self-declarations, while only 9,563 schools had obtained Fire NOCs.

According to the government’s response, these schools lack fire safety facilities, leaving students at risk of fire accidents. The government and authorities have given schools 30 days to implement fire safety measures and regulations. The response was recorded by Chief Justice Sunita Agrawal and Justice Pranav Trivedi.

According to the Fire Safety Act and rules, schools in buildings over 9 metres high must obtain a Fire NOC.

The government and authorities have instructed schools to ensure they have water tanks, fire safety equipment, and sand-filled buckets. Schools are also directed to:

- Prohibit the storage of flammable materials or liquids inside the premises.

- Avoid gathering large crowds or assemblies.

- Limit excessive electrical load usage.

- Maintain a fire evacuation plan.

- Install a 10,000-litre water tank.

- Equip each floor with fire extinguishers weighing between 4.5 to 6 kg.

- Conduct regular mock drills and inspections.

Private schools also await Fire NOCs

Approximately 1,117 schools have applied for Fire NOCs, while 771 schools are in the process of installing fire safety equipment. For pre-primary and primary schools, out of 43,833 inspected, 31,987 are government schools, 633 are grant-in-aid schools, and 11,213 are private schools. 

Among 11,511 secondary and higher secondary schools, 1,403 are government schools, 5,064 are grant-in-aid schools, and 5,044 are private schools. In total, 7,517 pre-primary and primary schools still need to obtain Fire NOCs, including 2,263 government schools and 5,132 private schools. For secondary and higher secondary schools, 1,039 grant-in-aid and 2,843 private schools still need to obtain Fire NOCs.

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