Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has issued fire safety guidelines for Navratri organizers to ensure public safety during the festivities. The civic body has released a public notice outlining the precautions and measures to be taken for fire safety.

According to the civic body, organizers must apply online to obtain a fire safety certificate, and a hard copy of the certificate must be submitted at Jamalpur Fire Station at least three days before the event commences.

Public Notice on Fire Safety for Navratri Organizers:

1. Organizers must build stages of mandaps, pandals, or temporary structures far from schools, hospitals, and inflammable material warehouses. Roads and paths should remain open to allow fire trucks to pass, and any obstructions must be removed.

2. Entry should be allowed as per the capacity of the pandal, ensuring at least 1 square meter per person.

3. No fixed partitions should be made in the pandal to allow easy emergency exit routes.

4. At least two emergency exits are required, facing opposite directions, each with 5 meters opening width.

5. The travel distance to exit from seating arrangements should not exceed 15 meters.

6. Seating should have passages after every 10 rows and 10 seats, with a minimum width of 1.5 meters.

7. No mandap should be built near furnaces, electric substations, transformers, high-tension electrical lines, or railway lines; a minimum distance of 2 meters between structures is mandatory.

8. For religious Hawan ceremonies, adequate fire safety provisions should be available, and the ceiling above Hawan should not be less than 6 cm thick of CI/GI sheet.

9. Public address systems must be available to inform the public gathered at the mandap.

10. No stalls should be built inside the structure; no storage of flammable materials should be allowed near or under the stage.

11. Record-keeping of daily entries of visitors, spectators, and players in the pandal is mandatory.

12. Diesel generators should be kept far from the stage and pandal.

13. Sand must be kept below lamps near the Mataji’s idol, with at least one volunteer available around the clock.

14. Fire crackers, cooking equipment, LPG cylinders, and smoking materials are prohibited inside and near the pandal.

15. Electrical wiring must follow current electricity regulations and be inspected by a government-approved electrical engineer; installation of electrical devices must comply with IS-1646-1982 standards.

16. Wiring should have PVC insulation or vulcanized tough rubber, with joints made using porcelain insulated connectors.

17. Main electrical switch boards must be made of AC or GI material and kept away from risky areas; emergency lighting with piloting lights must be provided.

18. All electric lighting, bulbs, or tube lights should be kept at least 15 cm away from any flammable decoration material.

19. IoT-based electrical system equipment with multiple connections is prohibited.

20. Signs like “NO SMOKING ZONE,” “EXIT,” and “EMERGENCY EXIT” must be displayed inside and outside in glow material.

21. Curtains and carpets used should be fire-retardant; carpets laid on the ground must be safe from fire accidents.

22. Flammable materials, liquids, or firecracker storage/use is banned inside and around the pandal.

23. Fire safety films must be displayed on screens used for motion pictures.

24. For every 100 sq.m., two ABC extinguishers (6 kg capacity), two CO2 extinguishers (4.5 kg capacity), two water drums of 200 liters with lids, and two sand-filled containers must be available.

25. Water supply for fire safety must be at least 0.75 liters per sq.m. and arranged for quick use in drums or buckets.

26. Trained personnel must be present around the clock during the festival to operate fire extinguishers.

27. Compliance with instructions from police, traffic, municipal, and other authorities besides fire department is mandatory, and respective no-objection certificates must be obtained.

28. Self-declaration on compliance with Fire Prevention and Life Safety Act, Rules, Regulations, and National Building Code Part-4 (on a 300 Rs. stamp paper notarized photo) must be submitted.

29. In case of fire emergencies, contact fire department at 101 or 102.

30. Organizers must strictly follow fire department instructions issued from time to time.

31. The fire department reserves the right to amend these instructions as needed.

32. Organizers must apply online for the temporary Fire Safety Certificate (FSCAT) at the designated website, submit documents to the Jamalpur fire station three days before the event, and allow inspection before certificate issuance.