‘Unsafe’ godown catches fire, engulfs around 60k quintal foodgrains

Nagpur: Around 60,000 quintal foodgrains, including rice, wheat and pulses, that could have been served to the city people for 12 days, gutted in a major fire broke out in an unsafe declared cold storage-turned-godown at Kalamna in east Nagpur in early Saturday morning. Parts of the godown also caved in due to high intensity of fire and weak structure. No one, however, was injured in the fire.
The incident has raised a big question mark on the NMC’s fire and police departments. TOI has been reporting about violations in cold storages, restaurants on rooftop, residential buildings, big flat schemes and commercial buildings. The buildings are given notices and declared unsafe also but no steps taken to seal it and prevent such incidents.

Even a complaint against the “unsafe” structure was lodged with the fire department and Kalamna police station in 2012 by activist Kamlesh Shah but no action was taken.

The reason behind the fire that engulfed the godown and exact amount of damage could not be ascertained yet.

NMC chief fire officer (CFO) Rajendra Uchake told TOI fire could not be doused throughout the day and even continued to spread into other compartments of the godown. “There are three compartments in the giant-sized godown — east, south and north. Fire started in south compartment at around 3.05am. Eleven fire tenders from all eight fire stations and staff of around 30, including officials and firemen, were deployed at the spot. 42-meter turn table ladder (TTL) was also roped in for the first time. The fire was so intense that it could enter the north compartment after the roof of south compartment caved in along with side walls,” he said.

Uchake further said there were no fire preventive and safety equipments in the godown. “It was constructed as a cold storage in the name of Afzal cold storage and ice factory. An NOC from the fire department was taken in 1997 for G+4 floor but it was converted into G+5 floor taking the building’s height to around 18 metre. The fire compliance was also not taken and action will be taken against the owner,” he said.

The chief fire officer further said the cold storage was declared unsafe after serving a notice in 2015. “Owner of Afzal cold storage closed it down and sold it out to Himalaya Agro Industries which again transferred the property to Calipsto Agro Industries. It has come to the fore that all fire equipments were taken out from the structure when the cold storage was converted into the godown. Even water tank at ground level was removed, making the godown completely unauthorized,” he said.

Uchake also said chances of fire spreading into east compartment was very less. “The fire could not engulf the east compartment where very less quantity of foodgrains were stored. There is another single-floor godown situated adjacent to the one under fire where betel nuts were stored. This godown is also safe and the dry fruits are being shifted from there,” he said.

Uchake said the godown owner roped in a team for demolishing the godown structure totally. “The owner also requested the fire department not to send any firemen inside the godown for dousing the fire as he does not want any casualty. Even the owner did not send any of his workers for saving as much as foodgrains. Owner claimed to have an insurance for entire godown and goods stored in it,” he said.

Fire tenders have been continuously running to Minimata Nagar overhead water tank situated around 5km from the spot for water due to lack of arrangements there.