Rupnagar’s inferno
We are shocked that a fire that broke out in Rupnagar slum in the city's Mirpur area on Wednesday morning has destroyed at least 200 shanties, leaving hundreds of its residents homeless. The fire also spread to a nearby six-storey building which was doused later. Thankfully, no lives were lost in the incident. Frequent fires occurring at the city's slums just go to show our lack of awareness, among other things, and the time it takes for the fire service to douse the fire brings to the fore how ill-prepared the authorities are in handling such incidents.
In many previous fire incidents in the city, including those in the slums, one of the main reasons of delay in controlling the fire has been the lack of natural water sources like ponds or canals in the respective areas. The situation was the same this time as fire-fighters struggled to bring water to douse the fire. Since scarcity of water has always been and will always be an issue in this congested city, shouldn't the fire service have the required preparation for that? Also, the narrow roads and lanes being a constant reality in Dhaka, shouldn't they procure the necessary equipment to navigate through these areas?
Sometimes when there is a fire in a slum, we are told that the exact reason behind it couldn't be ascertained. And in cases where the reasons are identified—where fire either originates from a faulty electric line or a leaked gas pipe—no corrective steps are taken. The committees formed to ascertain the reasons hardly come up with any conclusive answer, as the incidents go into oblivion with time.
This time, we hope the reasons for the Rupnagar fire would be identified soon and acted upon, and those affected by it will be rehabilitated immediately by the government. Also, the government should come up with a functional housing policy for the low-income people in the city so that they do not have to face the dangers of living in slums, fearing for their lives as they go to sleep every night.
Comments