Shanty dwellers, vendors rummage through burnt debris at Lord’s crossing
Times of India | 15 November 2024
12 Kolkata: Homeless shanty dwellers and vendors were found rummaging through the rubble of burnt debris on Thursday morning to count losses after an evening market went up in flames near Lord's Bakery More beside Prince Anwar Shah Road under Kolkata Municipal Corporation's ward 93 the previous day.
The remnants of burnt motorbikes, bicycles, rickshaw vans, beds, utensils, and asbestos sheets, among other belongings, were strewn all over the 28-cottah land where the fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon. Daily wager Ajay Sharma mourned the death of his four pet rabbitsas he could not take them along while scurrying to safetyfrom his shanty.
"The flames spread rapidly, and three of us ran out of the home in a hurry to save ourselves. We could not take anything with us, and my pet rabbits were kept inside a cardboard box. They were burnt alive, and their carcasses could not be traced and seemed to have turned into ashes," Sharma lamented.
Another youth, Raju Das, who lost his home in the fire, said, "Some stray dogs ran away in the nick of time before the fire leapt to the middle of the market. But a puppy got stuck somehow and succumbed to burns."
While the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, a section of locals said that the market was set on fire deliberately for real estate development interest. Debasish Kumar, mayor-in-council member of KMC, and Mousumi Das, local councillor, ruled it out, calling it a rumour. Kumar said, "It is govt land that belongs to the department of information and culture. If it were private land, the allegation of real estate interest would be logical."
According to the local councillor, CM Mamata Banerjee asked for the removal of encroachers on the land. Following her instruction, local cops told them to remove the shanties about two months ago. "Now those homeless people have been accommodated temporarily on the ground floor of a building. They will stay there till any further instruction comes about their rehabilitation," said the councillor.
Though the fire was controlled in one-and-a-half hours, the cooling process continued till 10.30 pm on Wednesday night. Cops, posted at the entry points of the market, cordoned off the fire-ravaged spot. A cop said, "The land will be cleared of the burnt debris after the forensic team collects evidence. A probe is on to know the cause of the fire."
About 18 homeless families have taken shelter on the ground floor of a nearby apartment on the other side of the road. Nirupom Gudia, a vendor-cum-shanty dweller, said, "The local councillor has asked us to submit the names of affected people who lost their shops and shelters."
On Thursday evening, Debasish Kumar and the local councillor distributed clothes, utensils, and food to the affected families.