Action against illegal encroachers in front of marketplaces: KMC
Kolkata: In the wake of the recent incident of a devastating fire at Bagree Market, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to take prompt action against the illegal encroachments in front of all the marketplaces including those owned by the civic body.
Mayor Sovan Chatterjee who is also in charge of the State Fire and Emergency department on Tuesday said that action will be taken
against those who are encroaching the pavements in front of the various market complexes in the city.
The KMC and fire department officials will conduct surveillance in all the markets to oust the illegal encroachers.
"The Fire department had faced great difficulties while dousing the flame inside the Bagree Market due to the encroachment on the pavements. We will not allow anybody to occupy the space in front of the markets. Those who are illegally encroaching the pavements in front of the market areas will be asked to vacate the place failing which, a legal action would be taken against them," the Mayor said.
Earlier in the day, Chatterjee held a meeting with the Member and Mayor-in-Councils in the KMC in this regard. He also added that the illegal encroachments obstructed the fire officials to combat the blaze at Bagree Market.
"All the owners of the shops will be instructed not to keep any goods on the pavements adjacent to their shops. Instructions will be issued to those who run shops in the markets restricting them from using the pavements. The civic body and the Fire department may also take steps against the vendors putting their stalls on the pavements," Chatterjee said. He mentioned that an FIR has been lodged against the CEO and the director of the Bagree Estates Private Limited by the state Fire department for their failure to put in place adequate firefighting mechanisms in the market.
The civic body had issued notices to various markets including the Bagree Market to arrange for water reservoirs and sprinklers. But in case of Bagree Market, two reservoirs that were there were empty at the time of the incident, giving a very difficult time to the fire officials.
"We are looking into why the reservoirs were empty. As a result, the fire officials had to arrange water from various other places. The firefighters did a commendable job. They restricted the fire from spreading. We are now issuing some fresh notifications to the KMC-owned markets and others to strictly meet all the required parameters set by the civic body and the Fire department," Chatterjee said.
