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| Fireworks seller under constant fear due to inadequate security measures | | | Ashutosh Sharma
JAMMU | OCT 16
Keeping in view the vulnerability of the crackers to the fire and the reaction, which can play havoc with the life and property, the administration claims to have categorically abandoned the sale and hoarding of crackers in densely populated areas. For the north-Jammu, “Parade Ground”, is exclusively selected by the administration for the sale and purchase of crackers. According to a version of SSP Jammu, Mukesh Singh the security men deployed at Parade Ground are sufficient enough to handle the situation. But, on the other hand shopkeepers were of the view that they are under constant fear due to the security deployment, which is not adequate from any angle.
When “EARLY TIMES” reporter visited “Parade ground” and took a review of the security measures, there was only one fire tender on the name of security and there was not even a single policeman at the entrance of the gate for the nominal checking of the visitors. Any one can take a matchbox with him to trigger any major incident; stalls were too close that they cold easily catch fire if any mishap occurs. The electric wires were also in a poor state that could cause sparking if wind blows sharply. More importantly there is only one way for entry and exit, in the case of outbreak of fire a of people can suffer in stampede.
While talking to the “EARLY TIMES”, Vinod Gupta, one of the cracker sellers at the Parade ground alleged that even after charging manifold high fee for the installation of their stalls on the land of the ground and delays in the allotment of the land the security and sanitary measures are very poor here. He said that any on can enter into this place with matchboxes, lighters or any other flammable objects reducing every thing to ashes with in no time. “ There is only one vehicle of water parked here by the fire brigade department which does not justifies the requirement in case any unfortunate incident breaks out”, he said. Adding to it, he said that during the late evening hours fire brigade Department takes away even this vehicle from the ground and during this time period any incident could be triggered by the anti social elements.
Similarly, Deepak Anand, who every year runs a stall of crackers in the same ground (and had lost every thing in the fire, which broke out in 1997, due to negligence on the part of administration in providing proper security measures) said that Police every year harasses the businessmen here non one or other pretext but does not provides security to their material and is waiting silently for the incident of 1997 to repeat itself. He further added that even in the night they have to keep vigil over their material on their own because of lack of security in the night. Meanwhile, DC Jammu was not available for comments.
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