After the tragic fire incident at Rajkot’s TRP Game Zone that claimed 28 lives, statewide vigilance over fire safety regulations was amped up to avoid such incidents in the future.
However, a case of deliberate lapse by the fire department in Ahmedabad has surfaced after one Ashadeep Maternity and Nursing Home, located near CTM Char Rasta in Ahmedabad, resumed operations overnight despite being sealed on May 31 over the absence of a fire NOC (no objection certificate).
Fire safety officer Kamlesh Patel issued a fire NOC on June 2 after determining that all fire prevention, life safety, and fire protection measures, as well as fire safety equipment, were in place and functioning properly at the hospital.
A fire NOC, granted after a mock drill of the fire safety of the premises, requires all personnel from the fire department. Now, serious allegations are being made as to when and how these procedures were carried out on sealed property.
Questions are also being raised about how the fire safety officer managed to conduct an inspection and upload the mandatory photos and videos of the hospital on the official portal, despite the hospital being sealed. This has led to suspicions of foul play and a demand for a thorough investigation into the matter.
This incident has raised eyebrows among the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) officials, who are baffled by the rampant practice of issuing fire NOCs without proper inspection or adherence to safety regulations. It is suspected that hefty bribes are being exchanged to renew fire NOCs, a practice that may pose a serious threat to public safety.