After Arambol fire, panchayat told to act against illegal structures

Panaji: The six private shacks that were destroyed in a massive fire in the early hours of Saturday morning at Khalchawada, Arambol, did not have the requisite fire safety system, such as hose reels or portable fire extinguishers, in place, said director of fire and emergency services Nitin Raiker on Monday.

The cause of the fire is not determined yet and is under investigation, but Raiker suspects a short circuit as a probable cause of the fire. “The inspection of the charred shacks is still under way, but we believe that the shacks were operating without any valid fire no objection certificates (NOCs) in place and the shacks were not made of fire-resistant materials,” Raiker said.

The financial losses are estimated to be between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 20 lakh. Following an inspection of the charred remains on Monday, Pernem deputy collector Shivprasad Naik pulled up the local panchayat for failing to exercise its powers, noting that massive beachside constructions had been allowed to come up without any valid permissions.

“The panchayat has failed to act upon these types of activities where massive constructions have started. They were supposed to implement their powers and take action. The panchayat should not allow beachside structures touching the beach to be built without any permissions,” Naik said.

Expressing strong displeasure over the narrow, encroached footpaths that hindered emergency access, Naik ordered the local panchayat secretary and members to immediately clear the encroachments on the roads and footpaths.

The administration has now directed a thorough inspection of licences and documents for all private restaurants in panchayat wards 1 and 3, with a strict directive to submit an action report within 15 days.

“Not a single fire extinguishing device was found here in any of the establishments involved in the whole incident. If the structures are operating without fire NOCs, the necessary FIR will be filed for threatening the lives of the people,” said the fire department director.

In a stern warning aimed at averting a repeat of previous major fire tragedies, the deputy collector stated that establishments operating without fire NOCs will face FIRs for endangering public safety.

John Lobo, general secretary of the Shacks Owner Welfare Society, said that the private shacks were in close proximity to each other, a feature which, Lobo said, will not be found at govt-approved shacks. “All our shacks are mandated to have a 10-m gap between each other. The shacks in Arambol are at a distance closer than 5m, which is why there was higher damage to the shacks nearby,” he said.