The Kamala Mills fire tragedy in Mumbai has intensified the outcry by residents of several posh localities in Bengaluru against mushrooming rooftop pubs and bars in residential areas here.
A fire that started at a rooftop pub during a party last night, spread rapidly through the building in the Kamala Mills compound, killing 14 people including a woman celebrating her 29th birthday and many of her friends.
The outcry against rooftop pubs, eateries, bars, restaurants and commercial buildings in residential and crowded areas in Bengaluru grew louder following the fire incident in Mumbai.
The citizens have been pressing the administration to act against the commercial activities, especially the pubs, bars and restaurants, in residential areas.
With two days left for New Year celebrations, when revelry inthe country's IT capital touches its crescendo, the residents havebeen petitioning the administration to act against illegal pubs, bars and restaurants in residential areas.
This morning, Indira Nagar residents gave a representation to Additional Commissioner of Police (East Bengaluru) Seemanth Kumar Singh seeking direction not to allow any nuisance in residential areas.
They also sought specific directionnot to allow any rooftop bars and loud music on December 31.
Swarna Venkataraman, a resident of Indira Nagar, said, "We have been fighting against the pubs, bars and restaurants for many years. Now the police have asked the revellers to move out of M G Road and Brigade Road and shift to Indira Nagar or Koramangala. This is an appalling statement."
None of the pubs and bars in the vicinity have licence from the fire and safety department, she claimed.
"We already have our Carlton Tower. Why do we want another Kamala Mill to happen in our city?" Venkataraman asked.
Almost eight years ago, fire at Carlton Tower in Bengaluru killed 13 people.
Uday Vijayan, who lost his son Akhil Uday in the Carlton Tower fire incident, tweeted multiple messages about the Kamala Mills tragedy since morning.
Vijayan, who started a campaign called 'Beyond Carlton,' told PTI, "We, as a nation, are living in a death trap. There is non-compliance to guidelines, enforcement is poor, citizens are apathetic and our attention towards fire safety is very poor."
Seeking to allay people's fear, Seemanth Kumar Singh said there is nothing to panic.
"We are going to deploy 15,000 police personnel all over the city on the new year's eve for the security ofcitizens," Singh said.
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