The news item (Herald dated October 4, 2014) regarding 33 persons who were killed, and countless injured in the stampede during the Dussera celebration is Patna, makes heart-rending news. Our sympathies go out to the families affected by the stampede.
It has been reported that the stampede was triggered by the rumour of a live electric wire having fallen on the ground, and panic ensued. It is also suspected that the situation was aggravated because the exits to the exhibition grounds had been blocked off.
Coming closer to home, one cannot help but fear that a similar dangerous and as disastrous situation prevails during the 10 day commercial fair that the authorities permit to be held annually in Sept/August in the heart of Vasco da Gama town.
During the ten day duration of the commercial fair, the towns main road, Swatantra Path and the lateral connecting roads are blocked to traffic, effectively turning that area into a congested closed tinder box. The roads are lined with thousands of stalls, all made of highly inflammable plastic and paper. All the vendors install dubious, unsupervised, unsecured, uncertified, mostly illegal and un-authorized electrical connections. The electrical wires criss-cross over the stalls throughout the area. There is no safety inspection or safety audit by the safety inspectors, Fire Department, Electricity Department and other regulatory authorities responsible for safety in public areas.
God forbid, should there be an electric short-circuit, the flames would spread like a wild-fire and the entire heart of the city would go up in flames in a matter of minutes. The Indian Oil tank farm is close-by, and could also be affected, leading to a blast that would destroy the entire town as happened on the outskirts of Jaipur some years ago..
Because exits to the area are closed to traffic, a fire or even a mere rumour could trigger a panic stampede, leading to heavy loss of life and injury to thousands, as happened in Patna.
For many years representation by concerned citizens drawing attention to the hazards and dangers of permitting the fair in the heart of the town, and pleading for the commercial fair to be shifted out of the heart of the city into peripheral open safer areas, have fallen on deaf ears. There is even a citizen’s petition pending before the Courts, awaiting disposal and final orders.
One can only hope that the Government and the relevant Authorities will wake up and place public life and safety above the temptation and attraction of soiled lucre and private profits, before it is too late.
Better act now, rather than regret later.
