HMT Industrial Estate unit holders rue lack of fire services; Kumar Ji Wanchoo urges Govt action

Srinagar, Mar 16: The unit holders within the Industrial Estate of HMT Zainakote here have expressed deep concern over the absence of a fire station, citing numerous incidents where businesses have been reduced to ashes.

Former president of the Industrial Estate, Kumar Ji Wanchoo while speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) stressed upon the pressing need for a fire tender station, stating that despite four decades of demand, their plea remains unheeded.

“This is the eleventh unit that has burned to ashes. With a fire tender on-site, the damage could have been minimized,” Wanchoo lamented.

The aggrieved unit holders highlighted the paradox of government claims of fostering investment and industrial growth while neglecting essential infrastructure.

Javid Haroon, another unit holder and former president of the industrial estate expressed disillusionment over the lack of response to their repeated appeals for a fire tender. “Is this the government’s seriousness towards industrialists? We feel neglected and unheard,” Haroon asserted.

Current president of the estate, Farooq Ahmad, echoed similar concerns, stressing that the absence of a fire tender station leaves many businesses vulnerable to devastating fires.

“Despite the evident risk, authorities have shown a lack of urgency and nonseriousness in allocating the fire tender station in our estate,” Ahmad remarked.

He said that the recent fire incident that engulfed a plastic factory in Srinagar’s HMT industrial estate, underscores the urgent necessity for proactive measures to safeguard businesses from such disasters.

“As unit holders continue to grapple with the aftermath of these incidents, the absence of a fire tender station remains a glaring gap in the industrial estate’s infrastructure, raising pertinent questions about the government’s commitment to ensuring the safety and prosperity of its industrial sector”, Wanchoo remarked.

—(KNO)