Bhopal Municipal Corporation Fire Engine Navigates Crowded New Market

On Thursday, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) carried out a fire safety drill in New Market, evaluating emergency response efficiency during busy shopping hours. The drill included dispatching a fire engine to various points to evaluate access, with anti-encroachment teams removing obstructions and imposing fines on non-compliant shopkeepers. The drill was initiated following a recent fire incident in New Market on October 8, leading to daily municipal inspections in the area to eliminate encroachments.

A team, headed by fire officer Saurabh Patel, pinpointed specific locations for the drill and staged a simulated fire emergency by reporting it to the fire station, pretending to be regular residents. Once the fire engine arrived at designated points, the crowd was promptly cleared to allow the vehicle's entry, and any hindrances were tackled by the anti-encroachment squad, who seized obstructing items and imposed fines on the shopkeepers.

The drill also saw the seizure of domestic gas cylinders from hotels. In a separate incident, a clash erupted between traders and the BMC anti-encroachment squad in Chowk Bazaar of the Old City over the removal of goods placed outside shops. A video of the altercation went viral on social media. The BMC claims the incident took place four to five days ago, and the video shows sanitation worker Mahesh Gauhar, officially in charge of anti-encroachment operations in North Assembly constituency, standing apart as the dispute ensued between traders and senior official Shailendra Bhadauria. Gauhar stated he was at a distance from the scene and was unaware of the reason behind the dispute.