AMC fire safety guidelines for Ganesh mandaps: fire extinguishers, emergency exits mandatory

Ahmedabad: The Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) Fire and Emergency Services has issued a set of fire safety guidelines for organisers of Ganesh mandaps and pandals in the city, making provisions such as emergency exits, fire extinguishers, trained personnel and clear access for fire tenders mandatory.

As per the public notice, Ganesh pandals and temporary stages must be set up away from schools, hospitals, godowns storing flammable materials, kilns and furnaces, electrical substations, transformers, high-tension lines and railway tracks. Organisers have also been directed to keep roads and pathways around the pandal clear to ensure that fire tenders can reach the site during an emergency.

The AMC has prescribed a minimum space of one square metre per person based on the capacity of the pandal. In seating areas, a passage of at least 1.5 metres must be provided after every 10 rows and 10 seats. Fixed partitions inside the mandap are not permitted.

Each pandal must have at least two emergency exits in opposite directions. A 5-metre opening must be kept facing the main gate, while the maximum distance a person should have to travel to reach an exit must not exceed 15 metres. Signboards displaying “NO SMOKING ZONE”, “EXIT” and “EMERGENCY EXIT” must be clearly visible inside and outside the structure.

The guidelines also lay down precautions for religious rituals involving fire. Only small havan kunds should be used, while adequate fire safety equipment must be kept available during the lighting of diyas and incense sticks. The ceiling above havan and diya areas must be covered with C.I. or G.I. sheets.

The AMC has prohibited stalls inside the pandal and banned the storage of flammable solids or liquids near or underneath the stage. Firecrackers, cooking equipment, LPG cylinders, smoking items, open flames and other combustible materials are also prohibited inside or around the pandal.

Electrical wiring and decorative lighting must comply with applicable electricity laws and be inspected and certified by a government-approved electrical engineer. Electrical installations must follow IS-1646-1982 standards, with specified insulated wiring and porcelain-insulated connectors for joints. In air-conditioned pandals, curtains and carpets must be treated with fire-retardant material.

The quantity of fire safety equipment required will depend on the size of the pandal. For a pandal of up to 25 sq m, organisers must keep one ABC fire extinguisher, one CO₂ extinguisher, one 200-litre water drum with two empty buckets and two sand buckets. The requirement increases progressively with the size of the pandal, reaching 20 ABC extinguishers, 20 CO₂ extinguishers, 10 water drums and 20 sand buckets for pandals under 500 sq m.

At least two trained personnel must remain present round-the-clock throughout the festival and should be capable of operating fire extinguishers. A public address system must also be installed for communicating emergency and safety instructions to visitors.

Organisers are required to submit a notarised self-declaration on ₹300 stamp paper, along with a photograph, confirming compliance with the Gujarat Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, Rules and Regulations, National Building Code Part-4 and IS-8758. The Fire Department will issue a special identification after submission of the declaration.

Organisers must also obtain the required NOCs from the Police, Traffic Department and AMC.

A prominent board must be displayed outside every pandal carrying the name of the Ganesh pandal, the organiser’s name and mobile number, and the name and mobile number of the trained fire personnel. The board must also display emergency numbers: Fire – 112/101, Police – 112/100 and Ambulance – 108/102/112. DeshGujarat