Ahmedabad: Less than 16 months after the Rajkot TRP Game Zone fire claimed 27 lives and led to the implementation of strict fire safety norms, Gujarat govt relaxed one key requirement for firecracker vendors. In Sep 2025, the state exempted shops on plots measuring less than 500 sq m from obtaining a fire no-objection certificate (NOC), making a self-declaration sufficient instead.The relaxation came ahead of Diwali through a circular issued by the state home department. The revised rules apply to firecracker shops in urban areas operating on plots smaller than 500 sq m.The move marked a shift from the stricter norms introduced earlier in 2025 following the fire at a firecracker factory in Deesa. After that incident, the govt had made fire NOCs mandatory even for firecracker shops in urban areas, increasing inspections and adding to the workload of fire and emergency services.Consequently, officials revised the requirement, deciding that smaller shops would no longer need a fire NOC. Instead, vendors would have to submit a self-declaration confirming compliance with prescribed fire safety measures.Under the Sep 2025 circular sent to district collectors and police commissioners, authorities were directed to verify a checklist before granting the required permissions for shops below 500 sq m.The checklist requires a 1,000-litre water tank on the terrace with a water supply arrangement and an ABC dry chemical fire extinguisher at the entrance. All firecracker shops, irrespective of size, must also keep a 200-litre water barrel, a 6-kg ABC dry chemical fire extinguisher and a fire modular system to tackle electrical short circuits.
