Illegal buildings make many areas in Kolkata a tinderbox

The inferno at the Surya Sen Market last week which claimed 20 lives is the latest addition to the list of fires in Kolkata, where illegal buildings with poor fire-fighting equipment make them a tinderbox.

Flouting fire safety norms, shops in Burrabazar, Posta, New Market, Hogg Market, Gariahat Market, continue to have wires hanging loose, staircases jammed with goods and no emergency exit.

Official sources said that the main problem in implementing fire safety norms are the illegal constructions.

"There are about 8 lakh legal premises. And the number of illegal premises is more than that. So implementing fire-fighting systems can't be done overnight," the sources said.

Fire Services minister Javed Khan told PTI, "It is an unplanned city so it is bit tough to implement fire safety norms in all markets and buildings.

"But after the AMRI fire, we ensured that fire safety norms were properly implemented in all hospitals and nursing homes," Khan said.

Earlier 43 lives were lost in the Stephen Court fire in 2010 while 94 persons suffocated to death in the AMRI Hospital blaze in 2011.

The state government has taken steps including cancellation of licences if proper safety norms are not implemented, Khan said. The minister said that the fire department has started disconnecting wires in illegal buildings in collaboration with CESC.

Asked about poor fire-fighting arrangements even at the state secretariat, Writers' Building, Khan said, "It is a British era building so it will take time as we can't close down Writers' Building for repairs."

Senior fire officials said that money stood in the way of implementing fire safety norms in markets.

"Money is the main factor. We have already sent fire safety plans to various markets. But most say that they don't have money to install fire safety devices," DG, Fire Services Gopal Bhattacharjee said.

"Most of the markets don't have any fire fighting systems. Even if some shops have extinguishers, they don't work properly or are past the expiry date," Sunil Bhuniya of fire consultancy firm Suraka Services said.

Traders on the other hand said that installing fire-fighting equipment is a costly affair.

"It is very easy to conduct a survey and say that trade licences will be cancelled. What will we do? Who will give us such a huge amount of money for installing fire-fighting equipment?" General Secretary of the Posta Merchants Association Biswanth Agarwal said. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has meanwhile started identifying legal and illegal premises without fire-fighting equipment.

"Now this matter is directly looked after by the state government. We are taking measures on our part to increase awareness and implement fire safety measures," Mayor Sovan Chatterjee said.