Two years after blaze, Margao markets get hydrants, but safety gaps remain

Two years later, PWD Minister Digambar Kamat launching the Rs 79 lakh project to install fire hydrants and lay a dedicated water pipeline around the New market and Gandhi market.

MARGAO
Exactly two years after a major fire engulfed a couple of shops in the Margao Municipal New Market, work on the installation of fire hydrants with a dedicated water pipeline has finally been launched in the city to deal with fire emergencies.

The project, including installation of 15 hydrants and laying of 1090 metre water pipeline, estimated to cost Rs 79 lakh, will provide a dedicated water supply with adequate pressure to support continuous fire-fighting operations in the congested New Market and the neighbouring Gandhi Market—both owned by the Margao Municipal Council.

These measures were part of the recommendations made by the Fire Services to the Margao Municipal Council following the New Market fire incident on December 26, 2023. However, this raises a crucial question: what about the host of other recommendations issued by the Fire Services to ensure fire safety in the two congested markets?

Has the Fire Services, at any point, inspected the New and Gandhi Markets to verify whether the civic body has implemented these fire safety recommendations? Or is the Fire Services content with merely issuing recommendations, without any follow-up action to ensure compliance?

Equally important is the role of the South Goa District Disaster Management Authority. When the fire ravaged the New Market on December 26, the authority—then headed by South Goa Additional Collector Dipak Desai—had initiated a review of fire-fighting preparedness in both the New and Gandhi Markets.

Two years later, have officials of the District Disaster Management Authority found the time to inspect these markets and assess whether the Margao Municipal Council reviewed the ground realities and acted upon the recommendations of the Fire Services?

The contrast becomes even more striking when viewed in the backdrop of the Arpora fire tragedy that claimed 25 lives. In its aftermath, the district administration swiftly constituted teams to monitor fire safety arrangements in restaurants and hotels across the district, even going to the extent of sealing establishments for violations of fire safety and other norms.

This brings the district administration face to face with a critical question: Is it not the responsibility of the Disaster Management Authority to ensure compliance with fire safety norms in municipal markets—especially when the Fire Services had made a series of recommendations that the local civic body was expected to implement?

Fire safety recommendations by Fire Services to the MMC post-December 26, 2023 fire incident to tone up fire safety measures in the New Market apart from installing fire hydrants and a dedicated water pipeline

Directional Exit Signs: The Directional Exit Signs shall be installed internally in the market at appropriate places for giving proper direction for the people and in Big EXIT Letters at all the gates shall be installed and conspicuously displayed in the market premises for the evacuations of the occupant in time of any eventuality. 

Exit Requirement: a) Every Exit, Exit Access or Exit Discharge shall be continuously maintained free from all obstruction of impediment to full use in case of fire or other emergency.

b) The internal passage in the both the markets shall provide continuous means of aggress to the exterior open space leading to a street.

c) Exits shall be clearly visible and the route to reach the Exit shall be clearly marked and signs pasted to guide the occupants in the market. The signs shall be illuminated and wired to an independent electrical circuit on an alternated source of power supply.

d) All the internal passages in the both New Market and Gandhi Market shall be kept free from all obstruction to carry the fire-fighting equipment in emergency inside the market.

Fire team volunteers: The team of volunteers among the shop owners shall be formed from fire safety point of view to check surprisingly electrical fittings and operation of fire extinguisher to keep the fire protection measures in the market premises in working condition.

Basic training and awareness: The Municipality shall take initiative to depute the Shop Market Association Representative and Municipality employees minimum 15 members at a time to get awareness of the basic operations and handling of first aid fire extinguishers for use in time of eventuality. Shop Market Association shall be emphasised for adhering to Do’s and Don’ts in the market area and formulation of fire team among the traders to attend to the quick eventualities of fire. The fire action stickers indicating what is to be done in case of fire needs to be pasted at various prominent locations indicating emergency telephone numbers shall be displayed by the shop keepers in consultation with the Market Associations in the market to attend the eventuality shall be emphasis through Municipality employees.

Fire retardant paint: All shop owners shall be instructed to paint their shop internally with fire retardant paint and provide with fire curtains of minimum one hour fire resistant to avoid quick spread of fire in their own premises.

Approach for fire appliance: Adequate passage way clearance required for the fire fighting vehicles to enter the premises shall be provided at all the gate entrance, the width of such entrance shall not be less than 4.5 mtrs. If an arch or covered gate is constructed it shall have a clear head room of not less than 5 mtrs. The compulsory open space around the New Market and Gandhi Market shall not be used for parking.

First aid fire extinguisher: The Licensing Authority shall mandatorily emphasis the shop owners for providing minimum two numbers first aid fire extinguisher preferably ABC Type Extinguisher of 4 kgs capacity for shop fire and CO2 type fire extinguisher of 2 kgs capacity for electrical fire in each shop in the market premises as fire precautionary measure.