MARGAO: The need for an overhead water tank and the non-functional fire hydrants exposed the Margao New Market’s vulnerability to fire mishaps as on Tuesday a major blaze broke out in the market which engulfed two shops and damaged two others. A clothing store and a pharmacy located nearby were gutted in the incident while another clothing store and a general store were damaged.
Vendors stated that if the fire had spread to another portion of the market and many more shops would have been damaged. Vendors nearby claimed that the AC of the clothing store on the first floor caught fire.
A total of six fire tenders from Margao, Cuncolim, Curchorem and Canacona fire stations were pressed into service to extinguish the fire.
However, it was difficult for the fire tenders to reach the site on account of a traffic jam as vehicles were parked on both sides of the roads.
A Fire Department official stated that the fire was reported at around 11.30 am and they managed to douse the blaze by around 2 pm.
The official added that they were not able to ascertain the cause of the fire, so they have sent a letter to the Power Department. However, it has been speculated that a short circuit in the first clothing store could be the cause.
Deputy Collector Uday Prabhudesai, Deputy Superintendent of Police Santosh Dessai, Margao Police Inspector Tulshidas Naik, Margao Municipal Council (MMC) Deputy Chairperson Dipali Sawal, and other councillors were present at the site.
Margao MLA Digambar Kamat urged the District Collector, MMC, Electricity Department, and Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES) to hold a meeting on Wednesday to assess the situation.
Kamat asked the Electricity Department to disconnect any illegal power connections to any of the stores operating in the market.
However, president of the New Market Traders Association Vinod Shirodkar lamented that for years, vendors have been demanding that issues pertaining to the fire safety of the market be addressed. He pointed out that they had even identified areas for the much-needed overhead water tank to come up, and the fire hydrants are non-functional.
Claiming that the erratic power supply to the shops poses a risk, Shirodkar reiterated that several meetings and inspections were held in the past but nothing has materialised so far.
He claimed that the authorities wake up only when disaster strikes and questioned how permissions were given to certain establishments in the market when there is no parking space for vehicles.
He said the fire brigade vehicles located in Aquem, which is technically minutes away from New Market, took so long to reach the market, and there could have been an untoward incident had there been any further delay.
Incidentally, there was a major power outage in the entire new market area for hours together, and many shops had decided to shut their shutters to avoid any mishap, he added.
“Today’s fire incident will once again refresh the memory of our elected representatives from Margao about the need for functional fire hydrants and clear roads for the smooth movement of traffic,” said former MMC chief Savio Coutinho.
