Ahmedabad Rural Police have ordered commercial garba organisers to complete a mandatory 24-point security audit every day during Navratri 2026, covering fire safety, electrical systems, structural stability, crowd control, women’s safety and emergency access.
The measures were outlined at a meeting with organisers chaired by Ahmedabad Rural Superintendent of Police Om Prakash Jat at the police headquarters. The plan applies to large commercial garba events held at farms, party plots and clubs in areas including Bopal, Shela, Hathijan and Sanand, where organisers are expected to manage sizeable crowds during the festival.
As part of the new process, each garba venue will be audited by the relevant local police station. Organisers have been instructed to submit fire-safety, electrical-safety and structural-stability certificates to the local police station every day. The daily audit is intended to keep safety compliance under continuous review rather than treating certification as a one-time exercise.
The police have also directed organisers to maintain a police help desk, a separate help desk for women and children, a closed-circuit television control room and a medical team at the venue. Separate entry lines for women will be required, while larger events must deploy women bouncers and women security guards.
Organisers of every major garba venue will have to nominate a nodal person to remain in contact with a coordination officer at the police station. The police have additionally asked venues to maintain suitable access for emergency vehicles, an operational requirement that can become critical when large crowds, parked vehicles and temporary event structures share the same site.
Ahmedabad Rural Police teams will monitor garba venues, parking areas and poorly lit locations using personnel in both traditional and khaki uniforms. Police officials said night patrols would continue through Navratri and Diwali, with personnel remaining on roads until 1 am and conducting night rounds between 11 pm and 5 am.
The safety plan also addresses illegal parking charges and unauthorised pass sales. Police said action would be taken if anyone collected money illegally for parking or sold passes without authorisation. Organisers have been told not to issue more passes than a venue’s capacity. Drone and artificial intelligence systems will be used for crowd-management efforts at commercial garba locations.
According to the police information cited in the report, more than 700 large and small commercial and neighbourhood garba events were held across Ahmedabad district last year. This year, Ahmedabad Rural areas are expected to host around 20 commercial garba events and more than 800 events overall. The authorities have directed all venues to provide separate entry gates for women.
The instructions place responsibility on both police stations and event organisers: police teams will conduct venue audits and patrols, while organisers must maintain capacity controls, safety certificates, help desks, medical support and emergency access. The next operational stage will be the implementation of these checks at individual venues during the festival period.
