With Navratri around the corner, the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has directed garba organisers to follow strict fire safety rules. The Fire and Emergency Services Department issued a notice highlighting key precautions.
Key Dos and Don’ts
Location: Pandals and stages should not be near schools, hospitals, warehouses with flammable goods, or electric transformers. Roads must remain clear for fire vehicles.
Crowd management: Allow one square metre per person. Each pandal must have two emergency exits in opposite directions, with exits no more than 15 metres away.
Fire safety: Keep fire-prone materials and stalls away from stages. Diesel generators must be placed outside the pandal. Electrical wiring should be safe and checked by a certified engineer. Light fittings must be at a safe distance from cloth decorations.
Equipment: Fire extinguishers, water drums, and sand buckets must be available, with at least one trained person on duty round the clock. Signboards like ‘No Smoking’ and ‘Exit’ must be clearly displayed.
Certification: Organisers must obtain a Temporary Fire Safety Certificate (FSCAT) online at least three days before Navratri and submit documents at Jamalpur Fire Station. A site inspection will follow.
Officials stressed that fire safety is as crucial as crowd control and warned that rules will be strictly enforced. In case of fire, citizens are advised to call 101 or 102 immediately.