Ten days after 50-odd firecracker stalls were set up near Mhatre bridge, authorities are yet to deploy a fire engine there even as two departments of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) are blaming each other for the lapse. Vendors say lack of fire safety measures poses a serious risk to the 500-odd men working at the multiple stalls as well as hundreds of shoppers who visit these stalls daily. One of the stall owners, Ajay Dahale, who runs Misal Fireworks, said this was the first time in several years that no fire engine had been stationed at the site. “Though there is a fire station minutes away from here, we cannot afford to waste any time in case of an emergency, given the explosive nature of the product. Every year, a fire engine is stationed here. But this time, there is no sign of it even after 10 days. We have paid over Rs 1.5 lakh as rent for 10 days, but there are no arrangements for water as well. The only nearby public toilet too is locked,” he said. Rajesh Hadke, who is a member of the association of firecracker stall owners, said they had been in touch with civic officials for days and had been promised that the fire engine would arrive in two days. However, PMC officials seemed to pass the buck between each other over who had the responsibility to ensure a fire engine was stationed at the location. PMC’s fire officer Prashant Ranpise blamed it on the estate department’s callousness. “Initially, when we were approached, we refused to give an NOC for setting up stalls in the area. However, after much insistence, we later gave the NOC but told the estate department to ensure a stall was erected there for the fire department. Even if we deploy a fire engine there, we need water and electricity connection. Every year, they have to do so. I have sent them two reminder letters so far. Also, our NOC clearly specified that the minimum distance between two stalls should be at least three metres, but none of this has been followed,” he said. However Satish Kulkarni, in-charge of PMC’s Land and Estate department, said he had not received any such letter. “The responsibility of sending a fire engine lies with the fire department. In any case, we will ensure a fire engine is sent there,” he said. Meanwhile, the situation at Golibar Maidan, which is another hub for firecracker stalls, is different. “Besides a fire engine stationed on the spot, all stalls are equipped with a fire extinguisher and even sand bags for emergencies,” said Ali Khan, owner of Diamond Crackers at Golibar Maidan.
