A massive fire broke out in the C Block Market, Vasant Vihar in the early hours on Saturday, June 15. Five shops were gutted heavily before the fire could be brought under control. Fortunately, there were no casualties. However, the owners of Pal Store, Raj King Mart, Mishra Glass, Mishra Hardware and Poshak have suffered heavy losses. As of now, the exact cause of the fire is not known. Some people believe that the fire was triggered by an electrical short circuit. The exact cause of the fire will, however, be known only after a detailed inquiry is conducted into the causes and circumstances leading to the mishap.
The Saturday mishap should serve as a wake-up call. According to several vigilant observers, the Block Markets in Vasant Vihar are sitting on a time bomb which can explode any time due to non-adherence of electrical and fire safety norms by the shop owners, overcrowding of the markets by the illegal vendors, lack of maintenance and depleting infrastructure, illegal construction and overloading of shops much beyond their capacities. It’s high time the market associations take stock of the situation in association with Vasant Vihar Welfare Association (VVWA) and take corrective action without any further loss of time to prevent another mishap.
Markets need redevelopment with adequate parking areas, relocation of vendors from main pathways, relaying of electrical cables and gas pipelines with inbuilt safety devices, safety alarms, CCTV etc. As the saying goes, “A stitch in time saves nine.”
