MARGAO: Following a major fire incident reported at the New Market in Margao recently, the Disaster Management Authority for the South district convened an emergency meeting on Tuesday and decided to conduct a power audit of all shops in both the markets owned by the Margao Municipal Council.
The meeting, chaired by Dipak Desai, Additional Collector – II, also requested a detailed report regarding the number of shops and records of trader licenses issued in both the New Market and Gandhi Market.
Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, MMC Chief Officer Gaurish Sankhwalkar and several other officials from PWD, Fire and Emergency Services, as well as the police department attended the meeting.
The Additional Collector expects a factual report on power connections in both markets within the next 15 days. Two teams will be deployed to inspect the power installations of each shop operating in the markets.
The Additional Collector, along with other officials, will inspect the market to determine suitable locations for installing fire hydrants and water tanks. Simultaneously, the traffic police cell will devise plans to address parking issues in and around the markets.
After the meeting, MLA Digambar Kamat informed reporters that two teams from the electricity department would check the power installations of every shop in the New Market and Gandhi Market. “The load will also be checked if exceeding beyond the permissible limit. It will be an audit of the power supply. Factual position will be known in 15 days,” he stated.
He further mentioned that work related to fire hydrants and water tanks would be expedited. A high-level team, supervised by the Additional Collector, will identify a suitable location for erecting a water tank, with estimates submitted within the next 10 days.
“The fire hydrant issue needs to be resolved permanently. Plans will be worked out based on guidance from fire and emergency services. Responsibilities have been assigned to concerned PWD officials regarding the installation of fire hydrants in the market,” said the MLA.
He added that according to the law, power installations should be checked every five years, but due to staff shortage in the department, it is not feasible.
When asked by reporters, Kamat stated that there is no chance of renovating the New Market; instead, it has to be a new construction. Additional Collector Dipak Desai mentioned that a review meeting would be called soon, where concerned officials will submit their reports for further initiatives.
