The fire that broke out in an illegal factory in the Mundka Village close to the Delhi-Haryana border and claimed at least 27 lives has once again underlined the need for greater accountability. What has to be probed and ascertained is that how was this factory running in the native village of former Chief Minister, the late Sahib Singh Verma, and how did callous officials permit its functioning, knowing fully well that it did not have the required clearances. As always, the blame game has started between the Delhi government controlled by the Aam Aadmi Party and the BJP run, Municipal Corporation. The point here is that whoever is responsible must be identified and punished. Normally speaking the buildings that are constructed need to have the approval of the civic bodies. Whether this particular structure had those pre-requisite permissions must be found out.
The Delhi government has ordered a Magisterial probe while the BJP is demanding an inquiry by a sitting High Court Judge. The issue is that whoever conducts the inquiry would obviously reach the same findings. In the past, there have been incidents from which the authorities have refused to learn. It is only after something horrific happens that the bureaucracy wakes up and cracks the whip. There are a large number of buildings including many in the New Delhi Municipal Council area which do not have the clearances of the Fire Department but are fully functional. Why is this kind of oversight being permitted.
The Delhi Fire service along with the civic agencies and the relevant departments of the Delhi government must have a coordinated approach to the matter. One cannot be risking innocent lives just because the officials have been found napping. In the early 1980s, a major fire had broken out in the multi-storeyed Gopala Towers at Rajendra Place. The Fire department found itself inadequate since it did not have the equipment to tackle high-rise fires. A helicopter was pressed into service to sprinkle water but its rotors fanned the fire, making the rescue operations even more difficult. Subsequently, the government-sanctioned money to the Fire department for the purchase of the Snorkels and Turn Table ladder vehicles for such an eventuality. The Delhi Fire Service is comparatively better equipped than its counterparts in Gurgaon and NOIDA which both have multiple multi-storeyed structures. One cannot but shudder with fear to imagine a scenario if this kind of unfortunate happening was to take place. The Centre and the State must understand that the Emergency services should always be given top priority and kept in the best state of readiness. There is no purpose served if the authorities wake up after many lives have been lost. The Police Control Room vans are always available for emergency assistance but the Fire services and the Ambulances also need to be upgraded to meet any kind of untoward situation. The Mundka fire is a wake-up call which should ensure that the various agencies of the government instead of shifting the blame on each other, come together to have a foolproof solution in the future. The temperatures are soaring and the NCR is a burning furnace. Therefore, more fire incidents may take place. But there has to be preparedness to deal with the situation. A crackdown on structures lacking the permissions must be done without any delay and lives should not be jeopardized because of apathy of the officials.