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Fire safety violations exposed at Sector 19, 22 rehri markets

CHANDIGARH:Last evening’s incident in which fire engines failed to enter the Sector 19 rehri market during a mock drill has once again exposed the fire safety violations at rehri markets.

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Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 23

Last evening’s incident in which fire engines failed to enter the Sector 19 rehri market during a mock drill has once again exposed the fire safety violations at rehri markets. 

A few days ago, a similar situation was witnessed in Sector 22. These two markets are literally sitting on a tinderbox.

The Fire Department, which detected several violations, said it would send an advisory to the rehri markets and would also take up the matter with the UT Administration.

The fire engines had to return without doing the mock drill at the Sector 19 rehri market as there was no space for the vehicles to enter to carry out the operation. The fire engines reached the market in the evening, but due to violations such as loose hanging electricity wires, vendors sitting pretty in parking lots, temporary structures and lack of proper entry-exit points, these could not enter the market.

Officials tried to gain entry from the front as well as the rear side of the market, but in vain. Station Fire Officer SK Gosain said, “There were several violations in the market and it made our operation tough. We could not carry out the mock drill. What if some mishap actually happens in the market. The same is the situation in the Sector 22 rehri market.”

“We will issue an advisory to the rehri markets. We will bring all problems faced by us during the drive to the notice of the Administration. Besides, we will sit with presidents of the associations of these two markets to improve the situation,” said Gosain.

Slamming the authorities, Sector 19 Residents Welfare Association president AK Dhadwal said, “The authorities are aware about it, but despite this, encroachments are continuing unabated. In case of an emergency, no one can enter or exit from the market. Recently, there was an awkward situation when a pregnant woman required an ambulance and it failed to reach there on time. Not only shoppers, even residents are fed up of this. The authorities must build a multi-level parking here as vehicles are parked outside our houses.”

Kulbir Singh, president of the Shastri Market association, Sector 22, said, “This market is famous among tourists as well as locals. Despite a police beat box and the presence of MC officials here, vendors continue to illegally occupy space and come in the way of emergency vehicles. In the market, we have 40 fire extinguishers, CCTV cameras and public speakers.” 

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