MARGAO, DEC 21
Mapusa market fire is a grim reminder to the authorities in the commercial capital on the urgent need to put in place effective fire fighting measures in and around the congested Municipal New market and Gandhi market.
When a raging fire engulfed the New Market earlier this year, the defunct fire hydrants had exposed the chinks in the armour of the fire services and the authorities. Sadly, the one lakh litre overhead water tank recommended by the fire services to the district and Municipal authorities to ensure adequate water pressure in the hydrants is yet to fall in place.
It is not out of place to mention that the Margao Civci body consumed considerable time to adopt a resolution, granting NOC to the authorities to build the overhead tank at the old fish market area. Till date, however, construction on the overhead tank is yet to get underway and it remains unknown which agency will take up the work of construction of the tank.
When fire services was contacted with the question whether the tank would be constructed by the disaster management authority or by the Civic body, a senior officer said that work on construction of the tank was to be undertaken by the PWD with funds from the Civic body.
But, neither PWD nor Margao Municipal officials could comment on the status of the proposal on the overhead water tank at the old fish market area.
Says President of the New Market Traders Association Vinod Shirodkar: “The Mapusa fire serves an eye opener to the Municipal and other authorities to urgently put in place a fire fighting mechanism in the market area. At least now, the authorities should gear up and implement the measures”.
Shirodkar said the fire fighting measures is a dire necessity in the New market area and hoped the new Margao Municipal Chairperson Sushila Naik would pay a visit to the market and solve the pending problems affecting the Municipal market.
Incidentally, the Margao fire services had first recommended installation of the fire hydrants in the market area around two decades ago. After much dilly dallying, the authorities installed two fire hydrants around the New Market, but the hydrants have been lying defunct for want of water pressure in the absence of a dedicated water pipeline.
Former Assistant Divisional Fire Officer Prakash Parab, who had recommended a host of fire safety measures in the Margao markets, said that the overhead tank is a must in any future fire fighting operations in the city. “The hydrants require high water pressure which can be met by the overhead tank,” he said.
, adding that the Municipal and PWD authorities should now ensure that the tank is put in place at the earliest to meet and emergency situation.
