THE West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services Department has issued notices to three prominent Durga Puja committees in south Kolkata over alleged deficiencies in fire safety arrangements, following the Chorbagan pandal stampede that claimed 19 lives, officials said on Monday. The notices were issued to Chetla Agrani, Ballygunge Cultural Association and Tridhara Sammilani after a high-level fire services team inspected major pandals and found shortcomings in safety arrangements, they said. The fire services authorities on Sunday directed the immediate removal of unauthorised temporary commercial structures and hazardous stalls set up near the pandals, citing serious fire safety concerns, particularly the presence of LPG cylinders near structures made of highly inflammable materials. Officials also stressed the need for adequate lighting and ventilation inside pandals to prevent dark spots, ensure visibility and facilitate crowd management.

 

The authorities also called for installation of adequate fans and air-conditioning units inside pandals to improve ventilation and prevent overcrowding and suffocating conditions. Debashis Kumar, senior functionary of Tridhara Sammilani told PTI Monday, “We got the NOC from the department before going ahead with the inauguration.” Ballygunge Cultural Association was asked to improve lighting inside its pandal and ensure that commercial activities did not obstruct entry and exit routes, the official said. “No highly inflammable material was used and there was proper lighting from the entrance and along the pathway. We told the team that all fire safety measures concerning crowd control are being used and sent them a compliance report,” he said. He added that the movement and management of thousands of visitors were being coordinated with Kolkata Police, civil defence authorities and the civic body.