The narrow lanes and encroachments were the major reason the fire tenders could not reach the location on time
The walled city area in the national capital which sees visitors everyday seems to be unprepared for dealing with disasters such as blasts, fire and medical emergencies.
Government agencies, the fire department and civic bodies have turned a blind eye to the persistent problems in the Old Delhi area that can prove catastrophic in case of a casualty. On Monday evening, a major fire broke out in Sadar Bazar area in which around 300 shantis were burned down affecting the lives of 700-800 people living there.
The narrow lanes and encroachments were the major reason the fire tenders could not reach the location on time. Though one or two fire tenders managed to get there, the fire was bigger than imagined. The lax approach of the municipal corporation has also resulted in the rise of illegal structures in the walled city.
Overhanging electric cables are another big threat to public safety in the area. The area has thousands of shops, wholesale markets of various commodities, and with the wedding season all set to begin in Delhi, the number of visitors has increased in such areas.
Other areas such as Hauz Khas village and Khan market are also areas where fire tenders face issues due to excessive parking. Recently, the High Court had also pulled up shopkeepers at the Khan Market for responsibility of any disaster.
Fire officials claimed that they are helpless as the narrow lanes disrupt their movement. "In Old Delhi area, the encroachments are a major problem, plus the men who carry loads on handcarts are slow. All this contributes to a delay in the fire tenders reaching the affected location," said a fire official He further added that people in the area, residents or shopkeepers, need to know basic fire extinguishing measures, and should also keep fire extinguishers at their places.
"Traffic is always out of gear here. All sorts of vehicles including trucks come at anytime and no one checks them even though some roads are one-way. Unauthorized constructions take place, and despite court orders not permitting trucks, unloading and loading of goods from trucks take place," said Mukesh Aggarwal, a shop- owner at Chandi Chowk.
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