No firefighting systems in Agriculture Produce Market Corporation Kalamna yard: Fire department
The inspection team of Kalamna fire station, also led by a senior fire department official, has also said that the fire extinguishers installed there were very old, and there were many other flaws.
Nagpur: After a massive fire that damaged red chilies worth crores in the month of November, The Nagpur Municipal Corporation Fire and Emergency Services Department has conducted an inspection of the Agriculture Produce Market Corporation yard at Kalamna and also found that the fire fighting measures were just a sham.
The inspection team of Kalamna fire station, also led by a senior fire department official, has also said that the fire extinguishers installed there were very old, and there were many other flaws. Now, the department has given around 15 days time to the Agriculture Produce Market Corporation to submit its firefighting plan for the market yard in East Nagpur.
“The notice was in fact a reminder of our earlier notice under section 8(2) of the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act in April 2018 for disconnecting electricity and water supply to the premises,” the officer said.
In terms of firefighting measures, the department had already declared the APMC premises completely unsafe in January 2018.
TOI tried to contact APMC chairman Ahmad Sheikh but he did not respond at all.
Traders have blamed the APMC administration for neglecting fire safety
Kalamna fire station officials also told TOI that the Agriculture Produce Market Corporation had been granted a provisional no-objection certificate dated October 16, 2003. Then the department suggested many measures for the market yard.
In October 2017 also, the fire station team got the premises inspected once again and Agriculture Produce Market Corporation was also ordered to install fire fighting systems like hydrants, sprinklers, smoke detectors, etc. at many places.
However, the AMPC administration continued to ignore the suggested measures or kept fire fighting arrangements in the premises, Which stocks agricultural produce not only from Nagpur district but also from neighboring districts and adjoining states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, etc.
The traders have also blamed the APMC administration for neglecting fire safety on the premises. “After red chilies worth crores were damaged by the fire, a delegation of traders met the APMC administration and demanded to strengthen the fire fighting system there,” They said.
Also Read: Vidarbha Rajya Andolan Samiti march on assembly for independent Vidarbha state
