Bihar bans cooking, havans in state during day to stop frequent fires
Patna: Stung by fire incidents in various parts of Bihar due to searing heat conditions, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ordered officials to issue an advisory to ask people not to light fire between 9 am and 6 pm and observe ‘havan’ and puja before nine in the morning.
The advisory also states that people will not be allowed to cook in villages during 9 am and 6 pm and those who flout the order can be imprisoned for up to two years.
Kumar asked Principal Secretary, Disaster Management, to issue an advisory to this effect while reviewing cases of fire in Patna division comprising six districts – Patna, Nalanda, Bhojpur, Rohtas, Buxar and Bhabua, an official statement said.
He also instructed the Power Secretary to change loose electricity wire from various areas as a preventive step.
On Sunday, RJD president Lalu Prasad also laid emphasis on curtailing use of fire to avoid accidents in view of soaring heat condition in the state.
Kumar ordered the officials to provide compensation to family of victims of fire.
The CM also directed to submit proposal for purchase of additional fire equipment immediately.
The divisional review meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav, Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and state police chief P K Takur besides Principal Secretaries and Secretaries of different departments.
The CM would hold similar review meetings of other divisions too, to take stock of fire incidents and status of implementation of total liquor ban in the state, the statement said.
The meeting observed that water level has gone down in Patna division in comparison to that in the last two years.
On this, the CM ordered to ensure supply of drinking water through tankers in affected areas and also get the handpump repaired.
