With Surat’s wholesale markets heading into the 10-day Diwali vacation on 5 November, the Surat Municipal Corporation’s Fire and Emergency Services (SFES), in close collaboration with the Federation of Surat Trade & Textile Associations (FOSTTA), has initiated intensive on-site fire safety inspections across the central textile trading cluster.
Heightened Vigilance After Recent Market Blazes
The safety drive follows recent fire incidents across South Gujarat’s fabric hubs, including the 19 October third-floor blaze at Adinath Textile Market in Salabatpura and earlier incidents at Shyam Sangini Market in Saroli and Regent Market near Kamela Darwaja. With market godowns stocked to peak capacity with synthetic polyester and viscose inventory, electrical short circuits during unoccupied holiday shutdowns pose severe financial risk.
Chief Fire Officer teams and building maintenance engineers are inspecting high-density complexes along Ring Road, Sahara Darwaja, and Begampura, focusing on four primary compliance mandates:
- Corridor & Staircase Clearance: Strict instructions to clear fabric bales, packing cartons, and wooden crates blocking common escape passageways and fire hydrant access valves.
- Main MCB & Sub-Meter Power Isolation: Shopkeepers must completely switch off individual shop circuit breakers (MCBs) upon closing on 4 November, keeping only central building emergency lights and CCTV power operational.
- Hydrant Pressure & Hose Reel Verification: Testing rooftop overhead water storage tanks, wet riser booster pumps, and dry chemical powder (ABC) extinguisher expiration tags across every floor.
- No Loose Decorative Wiring: Removing temporary overhead festoon lights and uninsulated decorative strings draped over exposed metal conduits.
Security Guidelines for the Vacation Period
FOSTTA and market managing committees have directed security staff across complexes like Millennium Market, Rohit AC Market, and Raghukul Market to conduct hourly floor patrols throughout the shutdown. Traders have been strongly advised to review their standard commercial fire and burglary insurance coverage to verify that policy insured sums match current pre-Diwali stock valuations.