Breach of law proves fatal
Breach of law, more often than not, can be lethal and costly. This time it has cost the lives of at least 11 people, all workers in a plastic factory in Keraniganj, a factory that had no permission to operate. The fire occurred in a room where gas cylinders were stored causing the cylinders to explode, giving no chance to the people inside the building to escape. The condition of the injured, reportedly, is serious.
This tragic incident reveals a few important facets of our life which the authorities should recognise and do something about. Firstly, the disregard for law in setting up business ventures and production units is a common feature these days, made possible by the connivance of the errant parties and the local administration. Not only was the said factory unauthorised, it was also located in a densely populated area. And no one running such an illegal establishment would invest in safety measures for the workers or ensure availability of firefighting equipment to deal with fire incidents. Secondly, the exploitative treatment of the owners of these illegal establishments compels the indigent locals to surrender because of their economic condition. It is providential that the fire did not engulf the other houses, most of which are made of inflammable material.
We are told that the said factory is not the only unauthorised one in the area, and one can bet that the working conditions there also are equally unhealthy and hazardous, as such establishments are wont to be. And it is a "happy" arrangement where the local administration as well as local elected representatives—whose job it is to ensure safety of the people in their wards and communities—are made to look the other way. By their inaction, not only do they validate but also encourage others to violate the law. Unless the government runs regular drives, particularly in the outskirts of the capital, which often escapes the notice of the authorities, such incidents with pathetic consequences would be repeated.
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