Kolkata fire safety check: Brush with blaze amid lessons from the past

Against the backdrop of many fire incidents in business hubs, markets and hospitals across cities, here's a series from the ground

A fire broke out on the third floor of the Acropolis Mall in South Kolkata on Friday, the second such incident to hit the city this week.

The smoke was located around noon. The building was immediately evacuated and people moved to the Geetanjali Stadium next to the mall. Several fire tenders rushed to the spot – some of the glass panes had to be broken to let the heavy smoke out. There was no casualty and the situation was brought under control by 3 pm. 

Krishna Jha, senior operations manager, Acropolis Mall, has promised an internal investigation.  
 

While the mall hopes to be back in business on Saturday, frequent fire incidents  are making residents sit up. Earlier in the week, a non-operational resto-pub ‘What’s in D Name’ had caught fire at the Park Street-Camac Street crossing – the entertainment zone of Kolkata flush with retail outlets, restaurants, pubs, et al. Fifteen fire tenders rushed to the spot immediately. No casualties were reported – about three to four people who were working in the building made their way out. The exact cause of fire is yet to be determined but inflammable material was said to be found at the under-renovation restaurant.
 

At least for a few hours, the incident had put the nerve centre of the city out of gear. Buildings in the vicinity were evacuated. There was smoke everywhere, Madhai Midya, the security guard at Park Centre, the next-door building, recalled. Park Centre itself is home to scores of shops, restaurants and offices.
 

Normalcy returned to the area within hours, but not without rekindling memories of the past.

Looking back
 

The most horrific fire tragedy to hit Park Street was Stephen Court that claimed 43 lives. The landmark building going back to 1927 — housing the iconic Flurys, Peter Cat, residences, offices — went ablaze in 2010. It was caused by a short circuit.

Casualties at the AMRI Hospitals fire in Dhakuria, South Kolkata, in 2011 were, however, much higher at 92. 
 

But Park Street has had its brush with fires even after Stephen Court though no casualties were reported. There were two incidents of fire at resto bar Olypub in 2014 and 2019. 
 

The Apeejay House has had three episodes – 2012, 2018 and 2021.

 

Changes for the better
 

Most of the structures on Park Street are old, making it difficult to adhere to norms set by the fire department. But most concede, things have gotten more stringent since Stephen Court.
 

Nitin Kothari, who owns Peter Cat, Mocambo and Peter Hu?, said that there were periodic check-ups from the fire department, some were surprise checks. 
 

“The fire department has done extremely well in enforcing stringent laws.” The steps include maintaining an internal water reservoir, water sprinklers, smoke detectors, among others.
 

Amendments have been made by the fire department, says the safety manager at one of the Park Street commercial complexes. 
 

“If we go to the fire department for a no objection certificate, we have to ensure that the building has complied with all the rules.”  

“We have had to make modifications to our building which was built in 1960 to make it compliant,” he said.   

A brewing problem

The fire department may have gotten its act together but there is a problem brewing in the densely populated market areas in the city.

About two kilometre from Park Street, is New Market, a treasure trove for shoppers. Shop owners at the 150-year-old market, formerly Sir Stuart Hogg Market, rue that a disaster is waiting to happen with the encroachment by hawkers.

Ashok Kumar Gupta, president, S S Hogg Market Traders’ Association, said that hawkers pack their goods in plastic sheets when they wrap up for the day and leave them behind. “If by any chance, it catches fire then it will be a disaster.”

New Market has seen some of the worst fires. In 1985, a large portion of the market was gutted in a midnight blaze and had to be rebuilt and a new wing was added. There have been fire incidents in 2011, 2015, 2018.

“The maintenance is poor. If anything happens here, we will be at the mercy of God,” a shop owner said.

The New Market is maintained by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).  

 

Where hawkers rule

Move further north – from Brabourne Road to Canning Street, and hawkers rule here. Outside Bagree Market in the Burrabazar area, the pavement is almost lost and the road halved by encroaching hawkers.

“Barely six to eight feet is available on the road for vehicles to pass in this already congested area,” the owner of a shop selling blingy bags, says.

Nothing can be said or done, he adds, alluding to political patronage.

In 2018, a massive inferno had engulfed a portion of the market and it took three years to repair the damages. Most of the commercial spaces here are 100-150 square feet selling everything from bangles to spices and footwear.  

After the fire, the maintenance of the market has gone into the hands of the core committee of the Bagree Market Central Kolkata Traders’ Welfare Association, which has made sweeping changes.

Vinod Sethia, president of the association said that more than 1,00,000 litres of water is maintained in the reservoir and tanks. Each store has at least two water sprinklers depending on the size. “Have you checked – they are all functional.”

The portion that was gutted in the fire reopened in 2021. Firhad Hakim, who then headed the board of administrators of the KMC, had reportedly said at the reopening event that there must be enough space for fire engines to arrive at the scene of a fire and roll out.

What has happened since then is that the main approach of the market has been cleared of encroachment but the situation elsewhere outside the market has just worsened.

A short distance from Bagree is the Nandaram Market, which was ravaged by fire in 2008. The hawker scene here is invariable.