Patna: With Durga Puja around the corner, Patna district authorities have issued strict guidelines to ensure the safety of devotees and pandal organisers. The administration has made it mandatory for all pandals to follow fire safety measures, warning that action will be taken against those who fail to comply. Officials stressed that every pandal must have enough open space around it to allow fire brigade and police vehicles easy access in case of an emergency.
The fire safety instructions specify that pandals should be built using cotton cloth treated with fire-retardant solutions. Fire extinguishers, sand, and water must be available at all times, and larger pandals must have one nine-liter fire extinguisher for every 100 square meters. Pandals should not be constructed closer than 15 meters to railway lines, electrical substations, transformers, or other hazardous areas. Special care is required during fireworks displays to prevent accidents. Notices have already been issued to 35 pandal committees that failed to meet these safety standards.
The fire department has inspected 525 pandals across the city and identified 35 that did not follow safety rules. District Fire Officer Manoj Kumar Nat said these pandals have been classified as dangerous, and organisers have three days to bring them up to standard. In addition, the Electricity Department has been asked to ensure the repair of faulty wiring in rural and urban areas to reduce the risk of fire during the festival.
Other important rules include maintaining a minimum pandal height of three meters, avoiding synthetic fabrics and ropes, providing at least two exit gates no less than five meters wide, and ensuring emergency lighting is available. Havan kunds should be 20 meters away from the pandal or monitored continuously if inside, and kitchens for preparing prasad should be at least 200 meters away. Emergency contact numbers have been shared for immediate assistance, including local control rooms and the general emergency lines 101 and 112. Officials urged all organisers to strictly follow these guidelines to ensure a safe and smooth celebration.
