Panic gripped Margao market, the hub of business activity centred in the heart of the commercial capital on Tuesday as four shops were engulfed in fire in the morning hours, with the flames threatening to spread across the entire area that is usually bustling with activity. Thankfully, firefighters rose to the emergency and along with people and traders managed to douse the flames in around two hours, averting a major tragedy. The tension was palpable as the fire was building up while there were frantic efforts outside the market to contain the flames.
The incident has not only exposed the lack of seriousness in putting systems in place but also opened up a host of questions. What if the fire broke out at night after the market was shut? What if the fire had to break out deep inside the market? What if there were people trapped in the shops on fire?
Margao’s market, which is just a stone’s throw away from the municipality building, is a massive cluster of shops and establishments closely knit and mostly constructed as kutcha structures made up of tin, wood planks, or metal sheets. These shops cater to the needs of the common man ” from groceries to household shopping, etc., and are the common man’s go-to places.
Unfortunately, fire incidents have become common in Margao markets, the last one was reported in June 2020, and there have been several earlier. And like every other time, the local MLA and officials descend at the site, make inquiries, see the shortcomings and failures, and move on. Lessons from past fire incidents have not been learnt, and possibly nothing would change even after Tuesday’s incidents.
The sorry state of fire-fighting mechanisms in the market area shows that nobody is serious about fire emergencies. Otherwise, how does one explain why the fire hydrants at the market lay defunct without water pressure? Given the congested nature of the market, fire safety should have been a priority, and authorities should have ensured that effective fire-fighting systems are put in place and regularly tested.
Given the inconsistent nature of the water supply in the State, the civic body should have taken up the proposal of an overhead water tank, floated around six years ago, seriously. If not for the hydrants, there would have been a water source to bank on. While no efforts have been made to ensure safety, there have also been no checks and balances on establishments, some of whom are throwing caution to the winds by using open wired connections and violating power load regulations. Authorities should be monitoring irregularities and violations from time to time so that safety protocols are adhered to.
A midnight fire could have been catastrophic, and the market fire would have been destructive to Margao, consuming property worth crores and shattering livelihoods of hundreds of vendors. Holding stock-taking meetings is fine, but those meetings must be followed up by concrete remedial action. Proposals not being acted upon for six years only highlight the apathy of those at the helm.
While the market bounced back to life, this incident should serve as a wake-up call for authorities to put their minds towards ensuring safety not only in the new Margao market but also in other market areas which run similar risks to life and property.
