Ahmedabad is set to enhance its fire safety capabilities as the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES) has proposed the purchase of a 104-metre snorkel for Rs 2.83 crore. The proposal is scheduled to be presented before the standing committee on Thursday. This decision comes as the city witnesses rapid vertical expansion, with 25 skyscrapers taller than 100 metres approved in the past two years, currently at various stages of construction.
The 104-metre snorkel will be vital in ensuring fire safety and facilitating rescue operations in high-rise buildings, especially as Ahmedabad prepares to issue Building Use (BU) permissions, the final certification by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) for habitation, for these structures.
At present, the AFES operates three snorkel-cum-hydraulic platforms: an 81-metre aerial ladder platform at the Nikol fire station and two 54-metre platforms stationed at Jamalpur and Thaltej. However, with over 70 buildings in the city ranging from 45 to 70 metres in height, and the rise of even taller structures, the existing equipment is deemed insufficient for emergencies in taller buildings.
Highlighting the urgency, a senior official from the AFES, noted, “Currently, cities like Chennai and Mumbai have snorkels taller than 100 metres. Ahmedabad will be the first city in Gujarat to have a 104-metre snorkel. Presently, there are two 54-metre snorkels and one 81-metre snorkel-cum-hydraulic platform on standby in various areas.”
The need for improved fire safety measures is underscored by recent incidents. In January 2023, a fire broke out on the seventh floor (21 metres) of the Orchid Green building in Shahibaug, claiming the life of a young woman. Similarly, in November last year, a fire on the 17th floor of Iscon Platinum Society in Bopal resulted in the death of a woman, with other residents being rescued from as high as the 22nd floor.
To address safety concerns amid the rapid approval of high-rises, the Gujarat government has been proactive in granting permissions for buildings taller than 100 metres in Ahmedabad and other urban centres.
In December 2014, the state government approved a General Development Control Regulation (GDCR) that allowed a Floor Space Index (FSI) of 5.4 on a specific stretch of Ashram Road and 4.0 within a 200-metre buffer zone along Metro and BRTS routes. Initially, buildings up to 22 floors were sanctioned, but subsequent changes permitted structures in the 100-150 metre and over 150-metre categories.
Following a final notification on May 27, 2021, and the formation of a special committee in September 2021, the AMC approved several high-rise projects. Among them were three buildings with heights of 108.50 metres in Sola’s TP Scheme No. 40, one in Bodakdev’s TP Scheme No. 50, and a 120-metre building in Shilaj’s TP Scheme No. 54/A.
Across the state, Ahmedabad has led with 25 buildings taller than 100 metres approved, while cities like Surat, Gandhinagar, and Vadodara have seen five such approvals.
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