Goa must move beyond inquiries and compensation to enforce fire safety measures
The fire at Vasco’s Sunday Market, which destroyed 129 shops, most of them stocked with festival goods, highlights the state’s lack of preparedness to deal with such a disaster.
Soon after the fire broke out, hundreds of vendors and their family members rushed to the streets, desperately trying to save their goods and belongings as the flames spread rapidly. They were crying and shouting as they watched their shops being reduced to ashes. The scale and intensity of the blaze made firefighting operations extremely challenging. Several fire tenders battled the blaze, which was brought under control at 4 am. Each tender reportedly made around four to six trips to replenish water during the operation. Given the gravity of the situation, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, South Goa Collector Egna Cleetus, DGP Alok Kumar, local MLAs and others rushed to the spot. A preliminary inquiry revealed that the fire hydrants were not working properly.
Fortunately, there were no casualties. Less than 11 months ago, Goa witnessed a fire tragedy at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora, in which 25 people died. After the tragedy, the state government went into overdrive, setting up committees and instituting a magisterial inquiry. The inquiry revealed several irregularities. It exposed systemic failures, corruption in the administration and more, all of which citizens were aware of. It is not that government agencies were unaware, but no one acted until lives were lost. Several instructions were issued to the departments concerned, and the government assured the public that necessary action would be taken to prevent fire disasters. In the Vasco case, wasn’t it known that the fire hydrants in the market complex were not working? Was any fire audit conducted by the authorities there? As expected, the “routine procedure” was followed after the inferno: politicians rushed to the site, the government announced compensation and ordered an inquiry, and the police registered an FIR. Will anyone be taken to task? Will there be accountability? Will heads roll?
The latest case reflects an institutional failure to learn from past tragedies and shows that Goa’s urban commercial hubs remain tinderboxes. Urban planning seems to be lacking in the state, with municipal markets repeatedly coming under the scanner for fire safety, robberies, flooding and other issues. The Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services complains that there is no access to shops inside the Mapusa and Margao markets. This is true. The question is: why is there indecision on the part of the government or municipal authorities over clearing encroachments and ensuring access for fire tenders? During festivals, retail vendors stock their shops or stalls with merchandise, some of which is flammable. Electrical safety is largely ignored, as temporary connections, overloaded circuits and wires hanging from corners are commonly seen in municipal markets. A short circuit could result in a devastating fire. The Directorate, in coordination with the Electricity Department, the Directorate of Municipal Administration and municipal councils, must conduct joint electrical and structural audits across all municipal markets.
For Goa, it is not just municipal markets that need to be insulated against fires. There are several other vulnerable places, including hospitals, hotels, old buildings, shacks and educational institutions. In every tragedy, the role of disaster management authorities comes into play. The state has a responsibility to ensure the safety of both residents and tourists. In the last few years, the focus has been more on events. Fire safety gets attention only after disasters strike. SOPs are drafted and publicly announced but remain only on paper. Why are no preventive measures taken? We must take long-term measures to prevent such incidents. Fire safety should be the government’s top priority.
