Malda DM mulls fire control cell

Statesman News Service

MALDA, April 4: The Malda district magistrate, Mr CR Das, today said that a fire control cell would be set up here to deal with the rising fire incidents in the district.Meanwhile, state relief minister Mr Mortaza Hossain has instructed the Malda district administration to immediately provide compensation to the fire-affected villagers of Ratua and Harishchandrapur blocks, even as 50 huts were reduced to ashes in a fresh fire at Sirsi Kalaibari in Habibpur block today. The minister is likely to reach here on Thursday to supervise relief works in the wake of yesterday’s devastating fire that rendered over 4,000 people homeless in the two blocks of the district. The Malda district magistrate, Mr CR Das, today confirmed that a four-year-old boy died of burn injuries in Harishchandrapur block yesterday.The DM told reporters here today that a fire control cell would be set up to deal with fire incidents which has become a menace in the district. According to officials, eight separate fire incidents have been recorded in the district over the past seven days. They, however, said that incidents of fire between March and April are a “common phenomenon” in the district. The district relief department today sent a primary report to the state government, making it clear that 730 huts were gutted and 4,000 persons rendered homeless in yesterday’s twin fire. At Naya Bilaimari and Maniknagar alone, 600 houses were destroyed and 50 cattle heads died, the report said. The estimated loss is Rs 3 crore, they said. In Harishchandrapur block, 130 huts were destroyed at Dangi and Satrai villages. Addressing a Press conference here today, the DM, Mr Das, said: “We have urged the state government to provide us Rs 1 lakh as cash government relief, besides allotting 10,000 tarpaulin sheets for the fire-affected people.” Mr Das admitted that due to a poor communication link, relief operation has been affected in the villages. “We are finding it difficult to distribute relief material to the victims. It is an arduous task to reach the affected villages which are surrounded by the Fulohar river. Waterways is the only means of communication there,” Mr Das, said.He added that 34.79 quintal of dry food and grain, 600 tarpaulin sheets and garments have been supplied to Naya Bilaimari and Maniknagar villages in Ratua block. On the other hand, 15.60 quintal of food packs, including grains, has been supplied to Harishchandrapur.