A scrap yard in Gawliwado caught fire on Tuesday triggering 4 consecutive medium intensity blasts and a major fire within the property. The fire continued for nearly 3 to 4 hours and required three fire tenders to contain the flames. Later in the evening, the Fire officials extracted six domestic LPG cylinders from the scrap yard.
Locals are highly agitated over how a scrap yard is allowed to operate in residential areas.
It was a busy afternoon of Tuesday when people in the Gawliwado locality returned home for lunch. The locality was surprised after the scrap yard of Afsar Mukadam, which has been operating in the middle of residential area in Gawliwado, caught fire and soon turned into a fire ball.
Four blasts in the property created panic among the residents. Some neighbours informed that the window panes of the houses were rattling and vibrating with the intense blasts.
It has also been learnt that the scrap yard apparently is operating without any NOC or licence. While dousing the fire the officials realised that there was no fire extinguishing equipment in the scrap yard.
It is being said that some persons were burning some leftover scrap which spread into the remaining stock and gutted the plastic barrels stored nearby. The plastic barrels of chemicals quickly caught fire and spread all over.
The scrap yard apparently also had quarters for residence of several persons. The Fire Fighters removed six domestic LPG cylinders from the cooled inferno in the evening.
The District Collector of South Goa, Anjali Sehrawat, quickly swung into action and has ordered the Mamlatdar of Fatorda to conduct an urgent survey of all the scrap yards in the vicinity of Fatorda and list out the illegal scrap yards in the areas.
“The citizens of the MMC or areas beyond may also be active enough and report such yards operating in their areas and causing nuisance or posing danger,” said Collector Anjali.
“Let’s have a data on the illegal scraps and will then issue show cause notices to all of them,” the Collector added.
Meanwhile locals said that there is a need of these danger businesses to be shifted as it is a continuous danger to the people in the area.
Fire Officer Gil Souza said: “There is no NOC to this, neither there is an operating licence. This should be taken seriously by the district administration.”
Looking at the poisonous smoke emission the fire officers ordered vacation of the houses around the areas.
Meanwhile the Shadow Council for Margao has made a strong demand for the permanent closure of the scrap yard that caught fire today at Gauliwado , Fatorda. The SCM stated that the scrap yard has always been a threat to the residential surroundings there.
Justifying the demand for the permanent closure, SCM convenor Savio Coutinho stated that the said scrap yard has been operating illegally on an open space of a sub-divided property, duly approved in 1983.
Coutinho further stated that the said scrap yard was ordered to be demolished by the Margao Municipal Council in the late nineties based on complaints from plot owners there. However, following a stay order, the demolition did not take place, and on account of various other factors, the scrap yard continued to operate there.
“We demand that the Fatorda MLA and TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai order an inquiry into the ownership/ status of the concerned land and direct for a permanent closure of the nuisance. The SCM shall formally write to the chief officer of Margao Municipal Council, along with necessary documents with a demand for the permanent closure of the scrap yard,” he added.
Fatorda police have registered a case against the scrapyard owner under Section 336 of Indian Penal Code for endangering human life.
