Time Zirakpur had a fire station

Prabhat Katiyar
Tribune News Service
Zirakpur, December 18

The massive fire that gutted almost all shops at the sabzi mandi here last night has once again reinforced the need for a fire station in Zirakpur.

According to eyewitnesses, fire engines from Dera Bassi reached the site one hour after the blaze started. Had there been a fire station in Zirakpur, the loss might have been much less as the flames could have been brought under control sooner.

The city, which is developing at a fast pace, housing a large number of residential and commercial projects and several others in the pipeline, is virtually sitting on a tinderbox.

This sabzi mandi is not an isolated case. One such sabzi mandi on the Nagla road, Singhpura, also lacks proper fire-fighting arrangements. The mandi, which has several temporary fruit and vegetable stalls, is located on a narrow road that frequently witnesses huge traffic jams and remains overcrowded.

In case of any eventuality, it will not be easy for firemen to reach the affected area. Several housing and commercial projects are situated on this road.

To add to the woes, shopkeepers can be seen using LPG cylinders to prepare eatables, posing a threat in case of a fire. While the authorities adopt a “casual attitude”, shopkeepers too appear to be non-serious about fire-safety arrangements. None of the shopkeepers here has installed any fire-extinguisher in the temporary stalls. There are loose wires in shops. A short-circuit can wreak havoc on the market.

Ankur, a resident living in a nearby society, said: “The authorities concerned should make proper fire-safety arrangements at the market. A fire station in Zirakpur is the need of the hour. Apart from the mandi, there are several high-rise buildings on the road. It will be difficult for fire engines to reach the spot in case any incident takes place.”

Another resident said on condition of anonymity that the authorities should ask the shopkeepers to make proper fire-safety arrangements at their stalls. It seems the MC and the Fire Department have not learnt any lessons from the past incidents. They should issue instructions to shopkeepers to install fire-safety equipment on their premises. 

Manjit Singh, Fire Officer, Dera Bassi, said they received information about the fire around 10.10 pm yesterday and subsequently fire engines were rushed to the spot.

The Dera Bassi fire brigade rushed three fire tenders, including a water boozer, along with a team of firemen to extinguish the flames. After a struggle of over three hours, the firemen were able to control the blaze, said the fire officer. He said there was no fire-safety arrangement in the market area. As two LPG cylinders burst, the fire engulfed other establishments.