More than a year after the Rajkot Gaming Zone fire tragedy that claimed 27 lives, fire safety compliance in Ahmedabad remains lax.
According to a media report, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) Fire Department data, 309 high-rise buildings in the city are operating without a valid Fire No Objection Certificate (NOC). Of these, 259 are purely residential and 50 are commercial-cum-residential.
Area-Wise Non-Compliance
Commercial-cum-residential: Bodakdev (8), Drive-in (5), Ellisbridge & Satellite (4 each), Ghatlodia & Naranpura (3 each), Navrangpura, Shahibaug & Vejalpur (2 each), plus several areas with one each.
Residential: Bodakdev (14), Satellite (16), Shahibaug (18), Jodhpur, Vejalpur, Vastrapur & Ghatlodia (10 each), Navrangpura, Prahladnagar & Khanpur (8 each), Ellisbridge & Paldi (7 each), Ambawadi & Sarangpur (6 each), Manekbaugh & Drive-in (5 each), and others spread across the city.
Newly developed hubs like Sarangpur, Gota, and Prahladnagar also have multiple non-compliant towers, while upscale areas like Bodakdev, Satellite, and Shahibaug top the list.
Prominent Complexes Without Valid NOC
AMC’s list includes well-known names such as Galaxy Towers (Judges Bungalow Road), Indraprastha Towers (Himalaya Mall), Rahul Tower (Shyamal), Takshshila Towers (Panchvati), Everest Tower (132-feet Ring Road), Ghewar Complex (Shahibaug), Royal Apartment (Khanpur), Sabina Apartment (near Gandhigram Railway Station), Shakamba Towers (opposite ISKCON), Vasupujay Tower (Manekbaug), Vraj Bhumi (Navrangpura), and Agrawal Apartments (Anandnagar).
Safety Concerns
Experts warn that a valid fire NOC is critical, not just paperwork. “People think their building is safe until the siren goes off. Fire NOC means life-saving systems are in place,” said a senior fire officer.
Some building representatives, however, contest AMC’s list. Galaxy Apartments’ manager claimed all documents are in order, while Agrawal Apartments’ chairman said their NOC was renewed but a technical glitch in AMC records may be showing otherwise.
Residents can verify their building’s fire NOC status at ahmedabadcity.gov.in.