CCMC tightens market safety after fire guts several stalls

Margao: Days after a massive pre-dawn blaze gutted several stalls at the GSUDA market in Curchorem, the Curchorem-Cacora Municipal Council (CCMC) issued strict directives to prevent such incidents.

The council gave vendors at the vegetable market shed a one-week ultimatum to clear all goods stored inside the facility and remove any unauthorised extensions to their allotted stalls. The CCMC made it clear that the market shed is meant solely for daytime trading activities, and vendors must remove their merchandise once they close for the day.

The stern measures followed an inspection by the CCMC’s market inspectors after the fire that broke out on Oct 20, exposing several safety violations. Inspectors discovered that the vendors were storing goods inside vacant compartments within the market shed. Moreover, most of the traders erected temporary stalls covered with plastic sheets in the market passages, which is believed to have largely contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.

“The plastic sheeting caused the flames to spread quickly, engulfing the vendors’ shed,” a CCMC official said.

The fire, which broke out around 2.30am on Oct 20, destroyed 22 of 50 stalls at the vendors’ shed adjacent to the GSUDA market.

Local fruit and vegetable sellers suffered significant losses as the blaze consumed stocks arranged for Diwali and Laxmi Puja festivities.