Goa’s fire-fighting teams have operated on a war footing whenever disaster strikes, but the underlying gaps in fire safety protocols and a lack of urgency in addressing them show a complete disregard for public safety, an area that should otherwise be a top priority, given the number of fire incidents reported in the State.
A day after the horrible Arpora inferno, where 25 people lost their lives, Goa witnessed yet another fire scare on Monday at the Serendipity Arts Festival venue outside Kala Academy. This is the second consecutive year that a Serendipity venue has caught fire, the first being on December 8, 2024. We can’t forget the Pilerne Berger paint factory blaze in January 2023. In December 2023, a major fire gutted part of the crowded New Market at Margao, threatening to wipe out the 400-odd shops and stalls in the area.
The Birch fire on Saturday night once again brought to the fore grave lapses in fire safety compliance. Official records indicate that the Birch nightclub did not possess a valid No Objection Certificate. This violation means there is a failure to enforce basic regulations. The question is, who will crack the whip? The Fire Department admits that it does not have the mandate to impose penalties or seal erring businesses. The regulatory void makes a mockery of the entire fire safety regime, which is why dubious establishments exploit such loopholes and operate with impunity.
Interestingly, electric fireworks have been very common in weddings and celebrations across Goa venues. There are risks involved here too, since these fireworks are held on dance floors and even in indoor venues which have decor that is inflammable. There are no regulations in place to monitor these, and should a fire break out, it would again be an endless story of finger-pointing. The event managers and hosts are at liberty to decide on fireworks, with some venues allocating specific areas, while some bar it. These grey areas in fire safety regulations are like ticking time bombs.
Soon after the 2023 Margao market fire, the Fire Services Department proposed a slew of key safety steps, including repairs of the fire hydrants around the market, laying a dedicated water pipeline, and putting in place clear safety rules, none of which are implemented even two years after the incident. The government’s repeated assurances have done nothing to bridge the yawning gap between policy and implementation. The proposed draft Goa Fire and Emergency Services Bill, pending since 2019, is another sign of bureaucratic inertia.
Stung by criticism over clubs operating illegally, the State government has swung into action by formally constituting a Magisterial Inquiry Committee to investigate the fire at the Birch. Yesterday, three officers were suspended pending inquiry while the State Disaster Management Authority issued a quick advisory directing nightclubs, restaurants, bars and event venues to comply with fire, electrical, and structural safety norms.
A reactionary attitude is visible once again. It took a tragedy of 25 lives for the system to start moving. Officials have been suspended, an audit has been ordered, and advisories are issued because the pressure is huge. Unfortunately, accountability in prior cases has still not been fixed, especially in the Shirgao stampede case. And for all the failures, we still don’t have a single-window mechanism.
While the dead have been laid to rest, and the police are tracking those responsible — including chasing the two brothers who own the Romeo Lane chain and have slipped into Thailand, there is a much bigger job at hand -- to clear the mess the clubs and event venues have created. Fire safety must no longer be a peripheral concern but a central priority—before the next tragedy strikes and claims more lives.
