Rajkot: Four game zones in Godhra are under investigation for not meeting safety standards and have been closed down, a report revealed on Monday.
Following the Rajkot fire tragedy at a game zone which claimed the lives of 35 people, the Panchmahal District Collector had dispatched a team to inspect game zones in Godhra.
Sources said of the four zones shut down, two cater to children, while the others are for pool and snooker enthusiasts.
The inspection team included officials of the Godhra City Mamlatdar, the fire department, civil and mechanical engineering departments, the electricity distribution company, and the city police department.
The investigation focused on several key aspects like verification of required permissions and licences, assessment of maximum occupancy limits, examination of electrical loads, cables, and installations, inspection of fire safety equipment, escape routes, and exit gates, and evaluation of the strength and fitness of mechanical installations.
Their investigations revealed that the four game zone operations had multiple deficiencies and did not match safety standards. Now they are under investigation for violations and have been closed down.
According to the report presented by the team, one game zone was in an open tent in Vavadi area on the Godhra-Dahod main road. It had not got its fire safety No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the last two years, resulting in its closure.
Preliminary findings indicated that apart from the game zones lacking the necessary fire safety NOC, they all had issues with their traffic routes. A comprehensive report on these deficiencies will be submitted to higher authorities.
(IANS)
