It was only a day ago that a firecracker market in Faridabad caught fire, destroying more than 200 shops. Two days ago, 18 people were killed and more than 10 were left with severe burn injuries in another explosion at an illegal firecracker manufacturing godown unit at Hyderabad. The incidents have brought to the fore the unpreparedness of the BMC in dealing with a similar situation during the ongoing Diwali festivities.
No lessons learned, plaints falling on deaf ears at BMC
In several areas, such as Dadar, Goregaon, Kurla, vendors who do not even have the license to sell firecrackers, have put up stalls and blatantly carry out their businesses. Many of them are near railway stations too. Residents say that like every year, they have complained to the civic authorities this year too, but their plaints have fallen on deaf ears.
Business without a license
"In Dadar Circle, there are so many vendors selling firecrackers and we do not even know if they have the license to do so. In my area at Sahakari Bhandar, several firecracker stalls have been set up under a temporary monsoon shed. In case of a fire, the store employees' lives would be at risk. I have complained about it to my ward, but no action has been taken," said civic activist Nikhil Desai.
No preventive measures
"At Masjid Bunder and Kurla, there are huge wholesale markets, but the BMC has not taken any preventive measures to ensure there is no accident. Ideally, the fire department should take special care of these areas especially during Diwali as they are high risk areas," Desai said.
Stalls near stations putting thousands at risk
Jason Fernandes, a Santacruz-based activist said, "Hundreds of firecracker stalls have sprung up overnight in my area, especially near the railway station. Thousands of people use the station every day and these stalls are putting all their lives at risk. Is the BMC waiting for a huge mishap to take place, before acting?"
Action taken only when plaints are made?
A senior fire department official said that they would act only when they receive a complaint from a particular ward. "Last year, after we received a complaint from a particular ward, we seized many firecrackers from vendors selling them without licenses. That time, we realised that only a few firecrackers are put on display and the rest are kept at a separate godown, which stands a higher chance of catching fire," he said.
Chief fire officer Sunil Nesarikar didn't take calls or respond to messages, despite many attempts.
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