As India’s capital city witnessed one of its worst fire tragedies in recent years over the weekend, it’s time to look at the gamut of fire safety challenges threatening the lives of Delhi residents.
A multi-storey building, spread over 600 square yards, located in narrow by-lanes of Delhi’s Anaj Mandi Market was engulfed in fire following a short circuit.
The incident, which claimed 43 lives, including that of a minor, is now being described as a tragedy.
The building housed four to five rooms on each floor and two staircases, of which one was blocked by goods as the edifice housed plastic toys, cardboard, garments and printing related manufacturing units.
It proved impossible for fire tenders to reach it despite being closely located.
Delhi’s Chief Fire Officer Atul Garg said: “Prima-facie it appears that the cause of fire was a short circuit. Anaj Mandi as a region is in itself considered a red zone.”
Red Zone areas are those vicinities that pose a challenge for firemen to access during any critical time.
“In case of a fire, it is tough for the fire brigade to pass amid the low-hanging cables, illegally parked vehicles on both sides of a single lane road, and the already narrow lanes,” the top fire official explained.
Over 150 firefighters took around five hours to extinguish the massive blaze, cutting window grills to access the building. Sixty-three people were saved. Eighteen suffered burn injuries, including two firefighters.
Illegal Localities – A Major Challenge
Sharing the concerns of fire personnel regarding the challenges to rescue efforts at such locations, the top fire officer said: "While narrow lanes make it tough for us to reach the spot, illegal use of premise is also an issue."
He said various illegal factories have been running in the premises across Delhi, which are intended as residential space. "There are huge possibilities that when we reach a spot thinking of it as a house, but in reality it turns out to be an illegal firecracker factory. In that case, our preparation on the spot falls short."
Delhi’s many congested areas face a similar threat, as a small spark can turn into a massive fire due to a lack of basic safety measures and industrial units operating in residential areas.
Last year, the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) had listed 51,837 units operating from non-conforming / residential areas. Last month, the city’s three civic bodies had found 11,972 industries running in non-conforming areas.
“The same problems we face at several localities of Delhi such as Chandani Chowk, Geeta Colony, Shahdara, Seelampur areas. There it is next to impossible for the fire tenders to reach on time due to the narrow lanes, unauthorised parking and traffic issues,” the officer said.
The Supreme Court of India had directed that all industrial units in non-conforming areas on or after 1 August, 1990 should be closed. But even in 2019, as the DSIIDC listing proves, they continue to exist unhindered.
