Hawkers can't encroach pavements, use plastics, says Sujit Bose

Kolkata: State Fire minister Sujit Bose said on Monday that under no circumstances the state government will allow any encroachment on city's pavements by the hawkers. He also mentioned that necessary steps will be taken to stop the use of polythene sheets at the roadside shops across the city to prevent any untoward incident of fire.

At a press conference in Salt Lake on Monday, he stated that the fire department will soon set up 24 joint teams comprising personnel from police, municipalities, corporations, CESC, WBSEDCL and Fire and Emergency Services department with Officer-in-Charge of different fire stations leading them. These teams will conduct fire audits in the markets across Kolkata and its suburban areas. He further said the hawkers will have to use trolley-based stalls so that they can be shifted place in case of an emergency.

"We will start with the audit in the markets in Kolkata from January 28. The situation about the existing fire fighting mechanism will reflect in the fire audit reports. It will also contain details of the No Objection Certificates (NOCs) of the markets and whether there was any violation regarding the same. Based on that we will act according to the law," Bose maintained.

Bose further said the government is not against the hawkers but the business must be done by maintaining certain rules and regulations. "The hawkers will be given trolley-based stalls and after getting such stalls, no one will be allowed to use plastics for their stalls and use polythene as curtains," Bose added.

The minister also informed that the Fire department will take steps against the Traders Assembly building authority as they had no fire fighting mechanism in the building.

The department will soon float a tender to buy 100 bikes for the firefighters to access narrow lanes in the city. Awareness campaigns will be conducted in the near future about the do's and don'ts to prevent fire and be safe if fire breaks out.