Jammu, 09 November (H.S.): Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, and Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh, today visited Kamla Market in the Warehouse area of Jammu, where several shops were gutted in a fire that broke out on Sunday night during Diwali celebrations.

The Minister visited the affected premises, inspected the extent of damage and took stock of the situation following the incident. He interacted with traders whose shops were damaged in the blaze and heard their concerns regarding the losses suffered.

Dr. Jitendra Singh was briefed by the district administration, led by Additional Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, Ms. Anusiya Jamwal, on the circumstances surrounding the incident and the measures taken by the administration and Fire and Emergency Services to contain the fire.

Members of the Ware House Traders’ Association, led by Deepak Gupta, apprised the Minister of the sequence of events and the difficulties faced during the incident. They also acknowledged the prompt response of the Fire and Emergency Services, stating that timely intervention helped prevent loss of life.

Expressing relief that no casualties were reported despite the scale of the fire, Dr. Singh said that the incident underlined the need for greater preparedness and effective preventive mechanisms, particularly in crowded commercial establishments and fire-sensitive locations.

The Minister urged the Jammu and Kashmir Government to explore the possibility of providing compensation to traders who suffered material losses in the fire. He said the matter should be examined by the concerned authorities to assess the scope for extending financial relief to the affected traders, who have suffered losses to their business establishments and merchandise.

Dr. Jitendra Singh also emphasised the need to strengthen institutional preparedness to deal with fire emergencies in commercial areas, where closely located shops and business establishments can pose challenges for emergency response teams. He called for devising a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) specifically for fire-sensitive locations to ensure a swift, coordinated and effective response in the event of such incidents.

Dr Jitendra Singh suggested that the Fire and Emergency Services, Jammu and Kashmir, convene a meeting with the Traders’ Federation to jointly formulate a comprehensive SOPs. The proposed exercise, he said, should bring together the concerned departments and representatives of the trading community to identify potential fire hazards, strengthen preventive arrangements and improve emergency preparedness.

The Minister further stressed that the SOP should focus not only on response mechanisms during an emergency but also on preventive measures to minimise the risk of fire incidents. Regular coordination between the Fire and Emergency Services and traders, along with greater awareness of safety protocols, could help reduce vulnerabilities in busy commercial establishments.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said that lessons from the Nehru Market incident should be utilised to strengthen fire-safety preparedness in similar locations and ensure that traders and emergency services are better equipped to deal with unforeseen situations.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar