Bhubaneswar: The recent fire mishap at Bhubaneswar’s Unit-I market on October 22 left over 40 traders devastated as their shops and goods worth crores of rupees were reduced to ashes. Following the incident, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Mayor Sulochana Das and senior officials of the civic body had visited the site.

The mayor had then assured that strict enforcement measures would be implemented. She declared that no trader would be allowed to use polythene sheets as covers, extend stalls onto the road, or obstruct public movement. BMC had also announced plans to introduce a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for all major city markets, conduct elections for market committees under official supervision, and provide group insurance for traders. Meetings were to be held with vendors to ensure compliance.

However, a week after the incident, traders are continuing to operate as before. Many have again covered their stalls with polythene sheets and expanded their shops onto roads, causing congestion. This violation of BMC’s restrictions raises fears of another possible mishap.

Traders’ Association President Expresses Concern

Unit-I Market Traders’ Association president, Kabiraj Swain, said the association had repeatedly informed BMC about the narrow lanes and unorganised structure of the market. He urged the civic body to widen all market lanes to at least 20 feet and strictly enforce the rule of keeping goods inside the shops.

He further alleged that many traders are running businesses that do not match their permitted category, turning eateries into grocery shops without any regulation.

Swain added that the mayor is expected to convene a meeting soon to address these concerns.

Also read: BMC to introduce SOPs for haats after Unit-1 market fire mishap.