Amid the crowded lanes of Chandni Chowk lies Bhagirath Palace, a tightly-knit market famous for electrical appliances. Thousands of customers flock to the area every day, but the 80-year-old structure in which the market is built is causing structural and fire safety concerns.
In December 2012, a major fire broke out in the market and fire fighters had a tough time getting through the narrow lanes. “Fire trucks cannot enter these lanes. In 2012, the water pipe had to be brought in manually after which they had to set the pressure. The whole procedure took a lot of time. Nothing has changes in the area even after that incident,” said Gaurav Ahuja, a shop owner.
Though no one was injured in the fire, authorities had said that the building had developed cracks and could collapse.
‘We are safe here’
‘The shop owners on the outer lane of the market area, however, are confident that the structure will hold up. “This is an 80-year-old structure. It was designed by the same generation who built other parts of Delhi. I am very confident that I am absolutely safe here,” said Puneet Goyal, a shop-owner.
But for those with shops deeper inside the market area, where the lanes grow so narrow that there is barely enough space for an auto to pass through, there are some concerns.
Fire safety concerns
“Fire safety is a very big issue here. Talking to authorities or the association yields no result as they talk sense only at the time of elections. Once the elections are over, they are nowhere to be seen. They could not solve a minor issue like building a proper toilet in this big market,” said Pawan Narula, who has been running a shop in the area since 1984.
In 2013, another fire broke out at the market and fire tenders faced the same problems they had a year before.
“My family has been running this shop since 1947 and the condition has been the same. Infact, it is getting worse with every passing daysaid Rohit Kapoor, who handles his family business.
Other issues
The customers who visit the market to get a good deal on electrical products are also aware of the problem.
“It does scare me sometimes when I come here, but then in these times, one has got to save money anyway possible,” said Nikunj Mahapatra, a regular customer. “However, I never let my wife or sister come here alone. Structural problem and fire safety are one issue, but women’s safety in this area is altogether another important issue,” added Mr. Mahapatra.
