Ahmedabad police have cleared 35 of the 84 applications received from organisers seeking permission to host garba events, with final approval dependent on fire safety clearances. Nearly 14,000 police personnel and security staff have been deployed across the city for the festival, while around 300 SHE teams will monitor venues and roads.
The number of applications received by Friday evening was slightly lower than last year, when 88 organisers sought police permission. Of the 84 applications this year, 35 had received police clearance by the time of the report.
A senior police official said organisers were still awaiting fire department no-objection certificates, or NOCs. “We are waiting for the fire NOC. Only those who get it by Saturday night will be given the final nod to organise garba,” the official said.
The permission process places police clearance alongside fire safety certification before venues can receive final approval. This makes the NOC process a key operational checkpoint for large public gatherings, particularly at venues where crowd movement, emergency access and late-night dispersal must be managed together.
Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut held a meeting with organisers and police officials to outline the security arrangements for the festival. More than 300 officers, including personnel of inspector rank and above, will remain on the streets until around 3 am to help ensure that revellers return safely after events conclude.
Around 300 SHE teams will be deployed at garba venues and on roads. The teams will work in uniform and plain clothes and are intended to deter harassment during the festival. Their deployment will cover both event locations and the routes used by people travelling to and from the venues.
The scale of the deployment reflects the administrative challenge of managing a festival that extends beyond individual venues into the wider street network. Police staffing, fire clearances and post-event movement all form part of the permission and security arrangements described by the department. Organisers who receive the required fire NOC by Saturday night are to be considered for the final nod to conduct their events.
