AHMEDABAD: A special bench of the Gujarat high court on Sunday took suo motu cognizance of the fire incident at a game zone in Rajkot which left 32 persons dead and said it was prima facie a ‘man-made disaster‘ on Sunday.
The bench of Justices Biren Vaishnav and Devan Desai observed that gaming zones and recreational facilities have been established without the required approvals from competent authorities.
The bench instructed the advocates of the municipal corporations of Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, and Rajkot to attend a hearing on Monday. They were asked to provide information on the legal provisions under which these units were established or are allowed to operate within their jurisdiction.
Four children who were under the age of 12 were among the 32 individuals who lost their lives, and three more were injured in a large fire that engulfed the game zone in Rajkot. The area was crowded with people enjoying a summer vacation outing on Saturday evening, according to the officials.
Chief minister Bhupendra Patel visited the incident site at Nana-Mava road on Sunday morning. He also visited a hospital where the injured persons were admitted.
“We are shocked to read newspaper reports which indicate that the gaming zone at Rajkot appears to have taken advantage of the loopholes in the Gujarat Comprehensive General Development Control Regulations (GDCR). These entertainment zones, as newspapers suggest, have come up without the necessary approvals from the competent authorities,” the court observed.
The HC also wanted to know from the state government and the municipal corporations “whether such licenses, including the licenses to its use and compliance of fire safety regulations‘ were given to these respective (entertainment) zones that are in territorial jurisdiction of these corporations.
These entertainment zones, as newspapers suggest, have come up without the necessary approvals from the competent authorities, the court noted.
Quoting newspaper reports, the high court said temporary structures were created at the TRP game zone in Rajkot in order to overcome the hurdles caused in taking necessary permissions, no-objection certificates, including the fire NOC and construction permission.
Not just Rajkot, such game zones have come up in Ahmedabad city as well and they “pose a significant threat to public safety, specially the innocent children,” it said.
“Apart from having constructed such gaming zones/ recreational activities, they have been put to use apparently, according to our information through the newspaper reports, without permission,” the court said.
“Prima facie, a man-made disaster has occurred where innocent lives of children have been lost and families have grieved their loss,” it said.
A stock of highly inflammable materials, including petrol, fibres, and fibre glass sheets, was stored at the Rajkot game zone where the fire took place.
The court listed the suo motu petition for further hearing on Monday, with a direction to the panel advocates for the respective corporations to appear before it with instructions as to “under what provisions of law these corporations led these gaming zones/recreational facilities to be set up or continue and be put to use.”
The bench allowed a civil application in a PIL on fire safety to be heard by the court. The application was moved by Amit Panchal, who appeared in person, for an urgent hearing.
Panchal mentioned in his note that the destructive fire indicates a lack of compliance with the provisions of the Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporations Act, 1949, the Gujarat Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2013, along with the related rules, regulations and directives from the Supreme Court and the Gujarat high court.
The bench of Justices Biren Vaishnav and Devan Desai observed that gaming zones and recreational facilities have been established without the required approvals from competent authorities.
The bench instructed the advocates of the municipal corporations of Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, and Rajkot to attend a hearing on Monday. They were asked to provide information on the legal provisions under which these units were established or are allowed to operate within their jurisdiction.
Four children who were under the age of 12 were among the 32 individuals who lost their lives, and three more were injured in a large fire that engulfed the game zone in Rajkot. The area was crowded with people enjoying a summer vacation outing on Saturday evening, according to the officials.
Chief minister Bhupendra Patel visited the incident site at Nana-Mava road on Sunday morning. He also visited a hospital where the injured persons were admitted.
“We are shocked to read newspaper reports which indicate that the gaming zone at Rajkot appears to have taken advantage of the loopholes in the Gujarat Comprehensive General Development Control Regulations (GDCR). These entertainment zones, as newspapers suggest, have come up without the necessary approvals from the competent authorities,” the court observed.
The HC also wanted to know from the state government and the municipal corporations “whether such licenses, including the licenses to its use and compliance of fire safety regulations‘ were given to these respective (entertainment) zones that are in territorial jurisdiction of these corporations.
These entertainment zones, as newspapers suggest, have come up without the necessary approvals from the competent authorities, the court noted.
Quoting newspaper reports, the high court said temporary structures were created at the TRP game zone in Rajkot in order to overcome the hurdles caused in taking necessary permissions, no-objection certificates, including the fire NOC and construction permission.
Not just Rajkot, such game zones have come up in Ahmedabad city as well and they “pose a significant threat to public safety, specially the innocent children,” it said.
“Apart from having constructed such gaming zones/ recreational activities, they have been put to use apparently, according to our information through the newspaper reports, without permission,” the court said.
“Prima facie, a man-made disaster has occurred where innocent lives of children have been lost and families have grieved their loss,” it said.
A stock of highly inflammable materials, including petrol, fibres, and fibre glass sheets, was stored at the Rajkot game zone where the fire took place.
The court listed the suo motu petition for further hearing on Monday, with a direction to the panel advocates for the respective corporations to appear before it with instructions as to “under what provisions of law these corporations led these gaming zones/recreational facilities to be set up or continue and be put to use.”
The bench allowed a civil application in a PIL on fire safety to be heard by the court. The application was moved by Amit Panchal, who appeared in person, for an urgent hearing.
Panchal mentioned in his note that the destructive fire indicates a lack of compliance with the provisions of the Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporations Act, 1949, the Gujarat Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2013, along with the related rules, regulations and directives from the Supreme Court and the Gujarat high court.
