Lack of fire hydrant system hits Thiruvananthapuram's Chalai market badly

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  The bustling Chalai market has been around since the late 14th century and offers everything from fruits to furniture for the buyers.

The market brags about a rich past, but when it comes to the safety of lives and livelihood, it’s this past connection that comes across as a handicap.

The once grandeur bazaar is now a chaotic landscape dotted with innumerable shops, many operating in barely accessible by-lanes without proper building permits. The danger lurks in the alleys, where vehicles cannot reach, and buildings bereft of ventilation. A speck of a spark can turn into a blaze gutting everything that it comes across. 

As happened on six occasions, including Monday, in the last 10 years. Five of these incidents took place within the market, while one occurred outside, near the Power House Road. The recurring fire breakouts had prompted the Fire and Rescue Services to propose setting up of a hydrant system to immediately deal with blaze. Though the proposal was moved almost half-a-decade earlier, it is yet to get official nod with the government citing difficulty in procuring land.

Sources in the Fire and Rescue Services said there was a proposal to construct a hydrant system at Erumakuzhy, but that is yet to come to fruition. “There was another proposal to construct a fire station near Padmanabha Swamy temple. But nothing has come out of that. Crucial time will be lost in moving  fire units from Chenkalchoola or Chackai units to Chalai in case of a fire,” said the sources. 
Former Fire and Rescue Services Director General, A Hemachandran said the government should invest more on fire-fighting infrastructure. 

“It’s high time a fire station came up in Chalai, which is a major commercial hub. The shop owners in Chalai should take preventive measures by purchasing economically feasible gadgets to deal with the blaze at the earliest.”