Bhubaneswar, Oct .14: Prevention is better than cure but the civic authorities here appear to have scant regard for popular wisdom. Unit-I daily market is a classic example of authorities lacking interest in implementing fire prevention measures.

The daily market, which has nearly 1,400 shops, is a tinderbox. Though more than 20,000 people visit the market everyday, it is a veritable death trap in case a fire breaks out. What makes the city’s biggest market vulnerable is the stockpile of inflammable materials such as polythene sheets and synthetic clothes.

If inflammable material helps fire to spread fast, combustible items such as kerosene adds to the danger. The abundance of eateries and teashops increases the possibility of fire breaking out at the market.

Tangled electric wires, which hang from every nook and corner of the market, exposes the facility to incidents of short-circuits that can spark off a fire any moment. Not surprisingly, the market caught fire on four instances in the past and every time short-circuit has been the reason. But what saved the lives of traders and those frequenting the market is that the incidents occurred in the night.

The other major concern is the process of evacuation, which seems almost impossible because of the lack of open space and unauthorised encroachments that have cropped up near the daily market. A stampede-like situation cannot be ruled out as the streets inside the market are narrow.

The market has a total of eight entry and exit points, all of which are occupied by encroachers. At the same time, parked vehicles occupy the peripheral areas. Even the minimum markers pointing to exit and entry points are absent at the market.

“The market is so crowded that on most days, there is a sense of suffocation. If a fire breaks out, only god can save us,” said Anuradha Mishra, a homemaker.

If fire does break out, a fire tender cannot enter the market, as there are no open spaces. Water storage facility is also absent.

The careless attitude of the authorities is evident as there are no fire extinguishers at the market. To fight a blaze, the traders have only a handful of water tanks to bank on.

“Incidents of fire have become commonplace for us. At least one fire breaks out every one or one-and-a-half year,” said Sudarshan Patra, a shop owner.

Fire prevention officer R.C. Mohapatra said a fire at the daily market would mean great danger to life and property.

“Though we have written several letters to the authorities to implement fire preventive measures, nothing has been done so far,” he said.

Mohapatra also said despite having concerns they could do little in the absence of executive powers.

Experts say fire preventive measures at a daily market must include a ward hydrant system, which has water pipes going around the market place. Along with ample free space, equipment such as smoke detectors, water sprinklers and portable fire extinguishers are a must for a crowded market.

The general secretary of Rajdhani Dainik Haat Byabasayi Mahasangha, Gayadhar Swain, charged the municipality authorities with negligence.

“Every time a fire breaks out they visit the place and assure us they would take preventive measures. The measures they speak of are only on pen and paper and nothing has been implemented yet,” he said.

However, the deputy commissioner of Bhubaneswar Municipality Corporation, Priyadarshi Mohapatra, said a committee had been constituted, comprising authorities of the fire services department, to conduct a survey on fire safety at the market.

“After getting the report, action will be taken,” he said.