Background.
1. A massive fire broke out in KC Pappu and Sons, a shop in Broadway Cloth Bazaar Road at Kochi
around 10 AM. Bhadra Textiles, an adjacent shop was partially gutted in the fire that began at the
wholesale and retail textile shop. The fire was noticed by an employee on the second floor, where
goods, elastic material, tailoring machines and oil were stored in large numbers/quantities.
On receiving the call, the fire force had reached the spot within a few minutes, with 25 fire
engines despite the narrow roads and milling crowds. It took nearly two hours to douse the blaze!
The Obstacles.
2. The three main problems, faced by the fire force at Broadway, were:-
(a) Narrow roads.
(b) Low lying cables and
(c) Unrestrained parking.
In addition, there were onlookers crowding the area and it had raised the risk. Old buildings fall
apart quickly during a mishap. Besides, onlookers did not have any security apparatus to protect
them from smoke.
The cause.
3. The same old problem of an electrical short circuit!
Broadway's Story.
4. The story of Broadway goes something like this:-
(a) The history of Broadway and Ernakulam market began with the arrival of the British in
Kochi in the 1800s.
(b) According to the Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Broadway came into
existence in 1919.
(c) Between 1935 and 1978, it emerged as a prominent place for retail shopping in the state.
(d) After 1978, retail business gradually moved out to other places, mainly on to the MG Road.
(e) Slowly, retail markets were replaced by wholesale shops and items changed from luxury
goods to hardware and plastic goods.
The Plight of the Fire Safety Audit.
5. The fire safety audit was done in 2016 and the same was submitted to the Collector and the
Corporation Secretary. The salient points were:-
(a) The buildings and shops are prone to fires.
(b) Shop owners put up makeshift roofs to store more stocks, in turn, increasing the fire load
of the building.
(c) Electric wiring is old and the chances of short circuit are more.
(d) Materials are stored in a careless/haphazard manner.
6. It had recommended proper fire hydrants, fire fighting systems in buildings and the curbing of
parking. (There is one fire hydrant that's defunct!)
7. Sadly, the report is yet to see the light of the day!
Tailpiece.
We'd got up with the alarm, gone through the chores and were ready on time. Annie came in at her usual time and left, after completing her work, a trifle past 1700 hrs. The electrician-cum-plumber who had promised to fetch up never showed up and therefore, the little problems continued to irritate.
A stage has reached that one has the money but still can't get things done and to top it, many of the guys do not even answer their cell phones!
1. A massive fire broke out in KC Pappu and Sons, a shop in Broadway Cloth Bazaar Road at Kochi
around 10 AM. Bhadra Textiles, an adjacent shop was partially gutted in the fire that began at the
wholesale and retail textile shop. The fire was noticed by an employee on the second floor, where
goods, elastic material, tailoring machines and oil were stored in large numbers/quantities.
On receiving the call, the fire force had reached the spot within a few minutes, with 25 fire
engines despite the narrow roads and milling crowds. It took nearly two hours to douse the blaze!
The Obstacles.
2. The three main problems, faced by the fire force at Broadway, were:-
(a) Narrow roads.
(b) Low lying cables and
(c) Unrestrained parking.
In addition, there were onlookers crowding the area and it had raised the risk. Old buildings fall
apart quickly during a mishap. Besides, onlookers did not have any security apparatus to protect
them from smoke.
The cause.
3. The same old problem of an electrical short circuit!
Broadway's Story.
4. The story of Broadway goes something like this:-
(a) The history of Broadway and Ernakulam market began with the arrival of the British in
Kochi in the 1800s.
(b) According to the Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Broadway came into
existence in 1919.
(c) Between 1935 and 1978, it emerged as a prominent place for retail shopping in the state.
(d) After 1978, retail business gradually moved out to other places, mainly on to the MG Road.
(e) Slowly, retail markets were replaced by wholesale shops and items changed from luxury
goods to hardware and plastic goods.
The Plight of the Fire Safety Audit.
5. The fire safety audit was done in 2016 and the same was submitted to the Collector and the
Corporation Secretary. The salient points were:-
(a) The buildings and shops are prone to fires.
(b) Shop owners put up makeshift roofs to store more stocks, in turn, increasing the fire load
of the building.
(c) Electric wiring is old and the chances of short circuit are more.
(d) Materials are stored in a careless/haphazard manner.
6. It had recommended proper fire hydrants, fire fighting systems in buildings and the curbing of
parking. (There is one fire hydrant that's defunct!)
7. Sadly, the report is yet to see the light of the day!
Tailpiece.
We'd got up with the alarm, gone through the chores and were ready on time. Annie came in at her usual time and left, after completing her work, a trifle past 1700 hrs. The electrician-cum-plumber who had promised to fetch up never showed up and therefore, the little problems continued to irritate.
A stage has reached that one has the money but still can't get things done and to top it, many of the guys do not even answer their cell phones!
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