The early Saturday morning blaze destroyed two shops in the market, which houses around 500 small shops and stalls and serves as a vital centre of trade in the state’s commercial capital. While no casualties were reported, the incident has revived troubling questions that have remained unanswered since the devastating fire of December 26, 2024.
In the aftermath of that earlier blaze, the Fire Services had issued a series of safety recommendations to the Margao Municipal Council (MMC). However, it now remains unclear whether these measures were ever implemented. There is also little indication that the Fire Services conducted follow-up inspections over the past two years to verify compliance.
The role of the South Goa District Disaster Management Authority has also come under scrutiny. The Authority had intervened following the 2024 incident, when several shops were gutted. Yet, questions persist as to whether it subsequently coordinated with Fire Services to ensure that the recommended safeguards were put in place.
Equally, accountability within the Margao Municipal Council is being questioned. Observers are asking whether successive Chief Officers made any effort to review the status of fire safety compliance or to ensure that civic officials acted on the recommendations.
What has added to the concern is that the market is currently undergoing a major facelift, including the replacement of its roof”an initiative undertaken with the intervention of PWD Minister Digambar Kamat. Despite this ongoing overhaul, fire safety measures appear to have not received top priority.
The latest incident has once again exposed the vulnerability of the New Market and underscored the urgent need for coordinated action by civic authorities, Fire Services, and disaster management agencies. Traders and citizens alike are now demanding accountability”and more importantly, immediate steps to ensure that the market is made fire-safe before a more serious tragedy occurs.
