Fire risk high in these cubbyholes

Swati Sharma / TNN / Mar 24, 2007, 01:10 IST

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For jewellery artisans, mostly from West Bengal, the risk of being fired is the burning question.

NEW DELHI: They don't mind either the miserable working conditions or the total disregard for fire safety norms. They just hope to cling on to their jobs for as long as possible. For jewellery artisans, mostly from West Bengal, the risk of being fired is the burning question.
It was this compromise that claimed the lives of six artisans who died in a fire on Friday morning in Karol Bagh's Beadonpura area, which houses hundreds of such factories.Often a small room, with no proper exit, is rented for jewellery work the mishap occurred in one such room.
The place, being surrounded by the market, is also not easily accessible in case of a fire. Since jewellery carving work requires the use of gas cylinders and machinery, the risk of a fire breaking out is much higher. What makes matters worse for these men is the fact that often no attention is paid to fire safety norms.
Even in such conditions, these underpaid workers face the threat of being fired by their contractor. "There is always the risk of a mishap happening at these places. But this is all we have and if we lose the job, where will our family go? We get paid anything between Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000 depending on the expertise and the employer," said a worker from Hooghly.

When queried whether they ever complain to the contractor for ensuring better working conditions for them, most say that the demand always falls on deaf ears. Said another Dipankar, hailing from Howrah in West Bengal: "It's better to be cautioned on your own rather than complaining to the contractor and lose your job.
Though we are not happy with our pay, if we lose this also where will we go?" he asks. These factories have also become a big nuisance for the residents. Not only these factories pose a fire risk to the neighbours, they also cause inconvenience during nights.

Laxmi Devi, a resident of house number 3218 Beadonpura, said that her life has become miserable ever since the house in front was rented to such workers. "More than 50 workers live in this five-storey house. These people work all night and create so much of noise.
Moreover, minor fires and fights is a norm here. We are even scared of opening our windows," she said. She added that she has complained to the police on several occasions but they have never done anything substantial.
The residents claim that most of the buildings here house one or another factory. "Some years back a fire had broken out in the area but nothing was done. The worst is that more such factories are being added every week and nobody does anything.
Leave alone the safety issue, these workers indulge in drinking and eve-teasing also, which is a threat to families living here," said Shanti, a resident of house number 3221.
swati.sharma@timesgroup.com

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