LOSS OF 39 HUMAN LIVES IN SIX FIRE INCIDENTS IN 10 MONTHS SHOWS SYSTEM’S LAXITY

Fatal fire incidents in Ahmedabad have risen alarmingly. A fire incident in a garment godown on Wednesday on Piplaj Road claimed 12 lives. 39 human lives have been lost in half a dozen fire incidents this year so far. Shockingly, 26 workers have lost their lives in fires at three cloth processing houses this year alone. In the textile processing houses and industries of Ahmedabad, once known as Manchester, no fire safety protocols can be seen. They only exist on papers.

The most serious incident took place at Shreya Hospital in Navrangpura which claimed the lives of eight Corona patients. So, 14 people have lost their lives in two fire tragedies at Chiripal Group’s Nandan Exim at Narol and a process house called Vishal Fabrics in Dholka.

Thus, a total of twenty-five people have lost their lives in three fire incidents in the textile process house. There are many industrial units in Ahmedabad and thus fire incidents and other accidents happen every year. The worst situation is in the economic capital of the state, Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad Fire Brigade has state-of-the-art equipment and adequate staff. The performance of the fire brigade in the event of a fire or accident is commendable. The fire brigade system falls short in enforcing regulations as part of operations to prevent accidents. The fire safety systems, especially in textile processing houses, are only on paper. They are not seen in the factories.