Encroachments Return Soon After Clearance! Bhopal's New Market Sees 3 Fire Drills, 2 Truckloads Of Goods Seized

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) conducted three fire mock drills at New Market on Wednesday to assess emergency preparedness and access for fire tenders following the Oct 8 fire at a 'chhole-bhature' eatery that engulfed five shops.

The drills exposed persistent encroachments, with goods returning to market corridors soon after clearance. The BMC also seized approximately two truckloads of goods during an anti-encroachment drive.

Fire tenders reached the spot within five minutes, while the exercise was repeated until 5:45 pm to assess emergency preparedness during peak market hours. The Oct 8 fire triggered a dispute between traders and the civic body over fire brigade response times and encroachments.

Fire tenders face obstructed access

Every time the BMC clears encroachments and carries out a mock drill, the situation returns to what it was before. During Wednesday's drill, goods had already been placed outside several shops after the initial clearance.

Fire officer Saurabh Patel and encroachment in-charge Shailendra Bhadauria, along with their teams, had to walk ahead of a fire tender to clear its path.

Patel said the drill was conducted three times to assess fire safety arrangements and educate traders about emergency preparedness. Similar mock drills will now be conducted regularly at random times.

Two truckloads of goods seized

The anti-encroachment squad removed goods obstructing market corridors. The civic body has also begun relocating street vendors and hawkers to the Haat Bazaar area near TT Nagar Stadium, following discussions with the traders' association.

A team has been deployed to patrol the market throughout the day and warn shopkeepers against placing goods outside their establishments. Yellow boundary lines will also be marked to define shop limits and keep access routes clear.

Regular drills planned at New Market, TT Nagar

BMC deputy commissioner Bhuvan Gupta told Free Press that regular mock drills would be conducted in New Market and the TT Nagar market area.

The measures aim to facilitate the relocation of vendors, define shop boundaries and ensure unobstructed movement of fire vehicles.