Ahmedabad: Nearly five major hospital construction projects in Ahmedabad have come to a standstill due to height restrictions enforced through a new online fire safety approval system. These projects, involving investments worth several crores, have not received clearance in over a year because of conflicting policies regarding permissible building heights.
Fire Safety Portal Creates Policy Roadblock
In the aftermath of the tragic Rajkot TRP game zone fire in May 2023, the Gujarat government implemented the Gujarat Fire Safety CoP portal. This portal, based on the National Building Code, mandates pre-construction fire safety approvals for all building plans. However, it automatically restricts the height of hospital buildings to 45 metres — a limit that directly contradicts the state’s 2011 Hospital Policy, which allows hospital buildings to go up to 70 metres in major cities.
AMC Unable to Clear High-Rise Hospital Plans
An official from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) confirmed that since the portal’s launch, no hospital projects exceeding the 45m height limit have been approved. “For any building plan in Ahmedabad, a fire NOC through the state portal is mandatory. Unfortunately, the portal currently has no option to upload plans for taller hospital buildings,” the official explained.
This glitch has left developers unable to proceed with proposals involving hospital expansions and modern high-rise constructions intended to replace outdated infrastructure.
Several Projects Delayed; Policy Change Awaited
At least five hospital proposals are stuck in limbo due to this height restriction, according to AMC sources. Officials indicate that approvals might resume once the fire safety authorities make necessary updates to the portal or allow exceptions for hospital infrastructure.
Existing Tall Hospitals Set Precedents
Despite the current standstill, Ahmedabad already has hospitals that exceed the portal’s height limit. SVP Hospital in Ellisbridge, a civic facility, stands at 69.84 metres with 17 floors, while Zydus Hospital in Thaltej is 63.7 metres tall with 15 floors.
Hospital Policy Underutilized Despite Incentives
The 2011 Hospital Policy was designed to encourage vertical growth in healthcare infrastructure by offering a higher floor space index (FSI) — up to 4 — for hospital buildings on plots of at least 5,000 square metres. However, over 14 years, only seven hospitals (two government, five private) received approval under the scheme. Of these, only six are operational, with one still under construction.
Developers Seek Relaxation of Land Size Norms
Stakeholders argue that revising the policy could help alleviate the bottleneck. Reducing the minimum required plot size to 3,000 sq m and allowing chargeable FSI could incentivize more hospital projects in land-scarce urban areas. “There is a pressing need for streamlined regulations that balance safety with infrastructure growth,” said an AMC official.
