An Ahmedabad garba event attended by an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 people was held without a Fire No-Objection Certificate, prompting an inspection by the city fire department and a warning that the programme could be stopped if safety deficiencies were not corrected.
The event, organised under the name ‘Sachi Navratri’ near New Science City Road and associated with singer Jigardan Gadhvi, was held on the first night of Navratri despite the organisers not having received clearance from the fire department or prior police permission, Divya Bhaskar reported. Ahmedabad fire officials inspected the venue on October 12 after concerns were raised over fire extinguishers, fire-resistant spray and emergency exits.
Mithun Mistry, in-charge chief fire officer, told Divya Bhaskar that the department had previously informed the organisers that required work at the venue had not been completed. Following the inspection, officials said a notice would be issued after checking whether the venue complied with the prescribed safety standards.
The fire department said it would wait until 4 pm for the organisers to complete the required work. If the deficiencies were not addressed, officials said they would inform the police. The department also stated that organisers would not be permitted to conduct garba events without the required approvals.
According to the report, fire and police teams inspected the venue twice on October 11, at 4 pm and again at 9.30 pm. The Fire NOC was not issued because the required work had not been completed. Despite this, the event began and an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 participants gathered at the venue.
Fenil Lalkiya, who was responsible for the garba venue, acknowledged that the event had taken place before the NOC was secured. He said the approval process had been delayed and described the decision to hold the previous night’s event as wrong. Lalkiya told Divya Bhaskar that police patrols were present and that the programme was stopped at about 11.30 pm.
Lalkiya also said the organisers would address the shortcomings identified by the fire department and would conduct the event only if the Fire NOC was issued. The report said open electrical wires were visible at the venue during the morning inspection, adding to the safety concerns raised by officials.
The case has also raised questions about enforcement at large public events, as a police team was reportedly present at the venue on the previous night while the programme was under way. Divya Bhaskar said it contacted Ahmedabad’s joint police commissioner for traffic and the special branch, but was told that the officer was in a meeting.
The fire department further stated that around 24 garba organisers in Ahmedabad had not yet obtained Fire NOCs and police permission. Officials said that if the required approvals were not secured by 6 pm, those organisers would not be allowed to conduct garba events. Permission, according to the department, would be limited to venues that had completed all required safety and administrative formalities.
