Cracker Shops Ignore Fire Safety Norms
Almost a year ago, on October 27, a firecracker store at Hanuman Tekdi in Abids erupted in flames due to the cramped space and non-existent fire safety protocols.
Hyderabad: Almost a year ago, on October 27, a firecracker store at Hanuman Tekdi in Abids erupted in flames due to the cramped space and non-existent fire safety protocols. Yet most firecracker stores do not appear to take lessons from last year’s accident and continue to ignore basic fire safety norms.
Across the city, shops selling crackers are set up side-by-side in narrow lanes, or within small buildings with limited exits. Additionally, smaller steel-sheet boxed stores are also being set up on main roads and streets, with no exits or fire extinguishers.
While some stores maintain buckets of sand nearby to smother flames in case of an emergency, others ignore basic norms. Rajesh, a store manager in Chappal Bazar, said, “We don’t have space to leave gaps between shops. We are on the main road, and with less space, it is impossible to leave gaps. But we have two buckets of sand for emergencies.”
Additionally, the shops use cotton-blend fabric to decorate the stalls, which is highly flammable material. Until officials conduct stricter enforcement of fire safety norms, another major fire accident is prone to happen.