A dilapidated ceiling with stains of thick black smoke, badly damaged doors and an unrestored electricity connection are all that remain of the 72 shops in the shopping complex in Jayanagar IV Block gutted by the fire accident of June 2008.
If it wasn't enough that the BBMP failed to deliver on its promise to revamp the market, yet another shock awaits the traders here. The authorities are planning to demolish the market in a month's time and are yet to give notice to the traders.
The shops were part of a market that stood as a symbol of Bengaluru's ethnicity, one of the few such traditional markets that remain in the city.
Not surprisingly, panic stricken traders are now up in arms against the BBMP's decision. "We only got Rs 50,000 as compensation for the huge loss we suffered. While BBMP got the place partially cleaned up prior to Chief Minister, B. S. Yeddyrurappa's visit after the fire, but since then nobody from BBMP turned up for three months. It is then that we took the initiative and collected some money from traders and got the space cleaned up and repaired the shops at our own cost and reinvested," said Kumaraswamy, a trader who suffered a Rs. 4.5 lakh loss. "They haven't even restored the electricity yet and we are taking it from the shops which did not suffer the impact of fire. The doors that were broken to enter the market to douse the flames have yet not been repaired," said Gopal, another trader at the Jayanagar complex.
Venkatachalapathy. M, Deputy Commissioner, Markets, BBMP, confirmed this. "We are demolishing the market place and coming up with a modern complex. We're also demolishing Janatha bazaar and Puttanna Kanagal theatre and building a multistoried parking lot and a new theatre in their place. The demolition will happen in a month's time. We are yet to issue notice to the traders. We will make alternative arrangements or pay compensation to them," he informed.
But the traders are not willing to give up easily. "We have got the building tested. It has at least 30 years of life. Let them paint it and make some alterations. We have been here since 35 years. While we started paying Rs 33 as rent, now we pay Rs 220 and those who have handed over the shop to some others are paying Rs 15,000. We fear that even if we get space in such a complex, the rents will be higher. So we only want this same building to be renovated," said Rajesh, who runs a condiment shop.
"This market is meant for public utility. We will not co-operate with Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Paalike(BBMP) unless they make an agreement with us that they will provide shops in the new complex at the same rents and fix a time frame and make an alternate arrangement. Only then will we co-operate," says, M. Basavaraj, President, Jayanagar IV block shopping complex owners association while speaking to Deccan Chronicle.
Showing posts with label fire accident. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fire accident. Show all posts
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Major fire in Madhapur pub
Lakhs of rupees worth property was feared destroyed after fire broke out in a pub located on the fourth floor of a commercial complex at Madhapur on Monday evening triggering panic among the locals.
Fortunately, no customers were inside the pub when the fire accident occurred. Thirteen workers of the pub managed to escape unhurt.
On noticing the fire in the kitchen, the staff disconnected the power supply. With much difficulty, they shifted the LPG cylinders to the terrace of the building.
The workers later came out safely by the main staircase while some slid down through the sewerage pipe before jumping onto the adjacent building.
The Madhapur police said the pub had special seating arrangements to watch live cricket matches. Flames erupted from the kitchen around 5.30 p.m. and spread to the entire floor.
Even as fire-fighters struggled to douse the blaze, smoke engulfed the lift on the fourth-floor making it difficult for them to reach inside the pub.
The fire personnel later pressed a snorkel into service and put out the flames after three hours. Furniture, electronic goods and other valuables were gutted in the incident. “It was a difficult task for us to extinguish the flames as combustible material was stored in the pub,” said Ranga Reddy district Assistant Fire Officer K.V. Krishna Kumar.
Fortunately, no customers were inside the pub when the fire accident occurred. Thirteen workers of the pub managed to escape unhurt.
On noticing the fire in the kitchen, the staff disconnected the power supply. With much difficulty, they shifted the LPG cylinders to the terrace of the building.
The workers later came out safely by the main staircase while some slid down through the sewerage pipe before jumping onto the adjacent building.
The Madhapur police said the pub had special seating arrangements to watch live cricket matches. Flames erupted from the kitchen around 5.30 p.m. and spread to the entire floor.
Even as fire-fighters struggled to douse the blaze, smoke engulfed the lift on the fourth-floor making it difficult for them to reach inside the pub.
The fire personnel later pressed a snorkel into service and put out the flames after three hours. Furniture, electronic goods and other valuables were gutted in the incident. “It was a difficult task for us to extinguish the flames as combustible material was stored in the pub,” said Ranga Reddy district Assistant Fire Officer K.V. Krishna Kumar.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Death toll rises to three at Park hospital
The death toll in the fire accident in Park hospital at Somajiguda rose to three with another nurse, Respa (25), dying while undergoing treatment at Yashoda hospital on Thursday morning.
A septuagenarian patient, Mangaiah of Suryapet in Nalgonda district, died. Forty-one others — including patients, attendants and hospital employees — were injured when fire broke out in Park hospital on Tuesday morning. Police shifted all the injured to the adjacent Yashoda hospital.
The follwoing night, a female nurse, T. Usha Rani, who had slipped into a coma after having inhaled carbon monoxide during the fire, died while being treated in the hospital. Her colleague, Respa, who too fainted after being caught in the smoke, was put on ventilator.
Doctors declared Respa dead around 10.30 a.m. Hailing from Guntur, she was living at the Old CBI Quarters colony in Khairatabad with her husband, Premchand, an employee of the Country Club.
A septuagenarian patient, Mangaiah of Suryapet in Nalgonda district, died. Forty-one others — including patients, attendants and hospital employees — were injured when fire broke out in Park hospital on Tuesday morning. Police shifted all the injured to the adjacent Yashoda hospital.
The follwoing night, a female nurse, T. Usha Rani, who had slipped into a coma after having inhaled carbon monoxide during the fire, died while being treated in the hospital. Her colleague, Respa, who too fainted after being caught in the smoke, was put on ventilator.
Doctors declared Respa dead around 10.30 a.m. Hailing from Guntur, she was living at the Old CBI Quarters colony in Khairatabad with her husband, Premchand, an employee of the Country Club.
