Fire safety an alien concept

NEW DELHI: At first sight, the narrow alleys of Gandhi Nagar may just fox you into believing that you are in the labyrinthine lanes of the Walled City.
The same congestion -- man and machine jostling for space and the clamour of roadside vendors hawking everything from cheap socks to "imported" cameras.
The tangled electric wires overhead and the huddle of illegal structures have created an ever-present fire hazard in this east Delhi market.It''s not as if the area has been spared of blazes. Every now and then small fires keep sparking off. The last fire that claimed lives took place in 2001 and that isn''t all that long ago.
"Even when there is no loss of life, there are financial losses. Every time a fire breaks out, a few shops and godowns are gutted," said Suresh Chand, of the local market association.
From what was essentially an unauthorised residential colony, now regularised, the locality has emerged as a major trade centre of the city. A large majority of traders here are originally from the Old City. "Buildings have just come up in a haphazard manner. Since this was an illegal colony, there was no question of following building norms, let alone those dealing with fire safety," said a trader.
The rickety, unplastered structures are pasted together. Random extensions in the shape of cantilevered balconies or an extra room make them even more dangerous. Apart from the buildings that have been completely commercialised, several are used for both residential and commercial purposes. Clothes dry within inches of high tension wires.
Underground water reservoirs, fire-fighting equipment are alien concepts here. Located in alleys wide enough for three people to pass through at a time, getting a fire tender inside Ashok Market, Subhash Road, Mahavir Gali, Ram Nagar and Shanti Mohalla is not possible. Traders brush aside questions pertaining to the illegal construction, and choose to focus on the apathy of the private power firms.
"We have sent them many representations requesting them to do something about the wiring, but they don''t respond," said K K Balli, a local trader. Balli said the area''s ills are because of lack of space.