May 26th 2024.
In Ahmedabad, a tragic incident occurred at a game zone in Rajkot that resulted in the loss of 27 lives. The Gujarat High Court, sensing the severity of the situation, took suo motu cognizance and referred to it as a "man-made disaster". The bench, consisting of Justices Biren Vaishnav and Devan Desai, expressed concern over the lack of necessary approvals from competent authorities for such entertainment facilities.
The bench summoned the advocates of the municipal corporations of Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, and Rajkot to appear before it on Monday. The court wanted to know under what provisions of law these authorities allowed these game zones to operate in their jurisdictions. The devastating fire, which took place on Saturday evening, claimed the lives of four children under the age of 12 and injured three others. The Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel, also visited the site of the incident and the hospital where the injured were being treated.
The court was shocked to learn that the game zone in Rajkot seemed to have taken advantage of loopholes in the Gujarat Comprehensive General Development Control Regulations. According to newspaper reports, these entertainment zones were set up without the necessary approvals from competent authorities. The court also questioned whether the state government and municipal corporations had issued licenses for the use and compliance of fire safety regulations in these game zones.
The court noted that temporary structures were erected at the TRP game zone in Rajkot to bypass the required permissions and no-objection certificates, including the fire NOC and construction permission. It also pointed out that similar game zones have come up in Ahmedabad city, posing a significant threat to public safety, especially for innocent children. The court further stated that these game zones were not only constructed without proper approvals but also put into use without permission, resulting in a man-made disaster and loss of innocent lives.
The court also highlighted the presence of highly inflammable materials such as petrol, fibres, and fibre glass sheets at the Rajkot game zone, which exacerbated the situation. The bench listed the case for further hearing on Monday and asked the panel advocates to provide information on the provisions of law under which these game zones were allowed to operate. Additionally, a civil application in a PIL on fire safety was also heard by the court, which was filed by Amit Panchal, who claimed that the tragedy was a result of non-compliance of various laws and regulations. The court allowed the application for urgent hearing and will continue to address the issue on Monday.
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