Bhubaneswar, Nov. 4: A fire mishap that has destroyed properties worth Rs 50 lakh at Saheed Nagar Haat has exposed lack of safety measures at major daily markets of the city.

Though the cause behind the fire, which broke out last evening, is yet to be ascertained, a fire official said it might have happened because of short circuit.

“I closed my shop in the evening because of Diwali. But later, I was informed that my shop had caught fire, which destroyed property of Rs 20 lakh,” said garment shop owner Manoranjan Baral.

The shop owners at the haat were of the view that the damage could have been much more had the fire tender not reacted on time. “We are lucky that the fire could not spread out. The fire engulfed five shops by the time the firemen could douse the flames,” said vendor Hemant Kumar Sahu.

The haat, established in 1967, is operating on two acres with more than 547 vendors. “We have been repeatedly asking the civic authorities for pucca shops, so that any fire mishap would have lesser effects on us,” said cashier of the Saheed Nagar Haat Banik Sangha Pankaj Pradhan.

Not only the Saheed Nagar Haat, but also a number of daily markets such as Unit-I, Unit-II and Unit-IV are vulnerable to fire mishap. Congested roads, huge quantity of polythene material used as roofs and dangling electric wires have turned the markets almost into tinderboxes.

Though the fire officials have been asking the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation to come up with fire-preventive measures at the markets, the civic authorities have not yet prepared a plan to tackle the mishaps.

Experts are of the view that the fire-preventive measures at a daily market must include a ward hydrant system, which has water pipes going around the market place. Similarly, the provision of ample free space, equipment such as smoke detectors, water sprinklers and portable fire extinguishers are essential at the crowded markets to tackle such kind of mishap.

“A committee consisting of civic body officials and the fire officials was formed two years ago. We have been requesting the civic authorities to take fire-preventive measures at the major daily markets, but nothing has been done so far,” said deputy fire officer of Bhubaneswar B.B. Das.

On May 23 last year, a fire broke out at Unit-I daily marker, destroying property worth Rs 4 lakh. Similarly on October 31, 2011, a fire mishap at the same market had engulfed property worth Rs 50 lakh.

“Thousands of visitors visit the daily markets everyday. But, the civic body is least bothered about their safety,” said local resident Deepak Das.

On the other hand, a corporation official said they had already initiated steps to tackle fire at the markets. “The daily market at Unit-I will be converted into a concrete structure with the fire-preventive measures in place. Similarly, the Saheed Nagar daily market will be relocated to a new location with the fire-preventive measures,” said mayor Anant Narayan Jena.