Opinion | Intriguing Case of Rise in Fire Incidents in Kashmir

For our existence on this earth, we have to face so many challenges. Every day is a new day for us, and every moment carries surprises for us. Whatever the situation, whether joyful, hard, tough, or something unpleasant, we have to keep ourselves vigilant; we have to be brave; we have to have wisdom; and we have to be trained on how to tackle a disaster, like situation. Nature has colossal potential, as it teaches us how to tackle hard circumstances. Every disaster, whether man-made or natural, happens by chance, destroys giant objects, is certain, and is quite a part of nature. We have to face all types of happenings on this blue planet earth.

since 14th of April-2023 we are observing the fire and emergency week.  The main mattoo to observe this week is to inform the general public about how to reduce the fire incidents, how to tackle when there comes any situation, how to safeguard the loss of lives, loss of property. As the fire incidents have increased in the valley over the last couple of years, the reasons are many. For example, short circuits have been considered one of the main reasons behind fire incidents in the valley. Short circuits are usual. There are some other reasons that are well behind fire incidents in valley’s like the houses are most often made up of timber. In Kashmir Valley, the houses are being constructed keeping in mind the geography and the weather, and we are in Zone 5. Zone 5 is being considered the most earthquake-prone zone. Leakage from domestic gas cylinders is one of the major causes of fire incidents.
During the weather people of kashmir use boilers during night time to boil the water for bathing etc. There are certain reasons, like the quality of electric appliances, why they catch fire and cause destruction on a large scale. Some people use timber ovens, which cause fire incidents and keep the victims under the open sky. The government administration has already set up units at the district level, raising funds through the Red Cross. The funds have been used to address an emergency situation in the area, and all the concerned authorities are protecting the losses and providing relief to the victims.
The fact that the fire and service department now includes emergency services means the department has the potential to tackle any untoward incidents like accidents, weather-related calamities, drowning incidents, etc. in the valley. The department has played a vital and great role for decades to minimise fire incidents and provide training to the general public and their staff. During fire and emergency services, the department informs the general public how to tackle fire incidents, provides special training to the public and staff, and installs hoarseness at the main public places to alert the people. One thing is quite probable: the training is being provided to the teachers as well, if there is any untoward situation and how to tackle it, and what precautionary measures should be taken during active fire incidents.
The government has made it mandatory for all the schools, colleges, universities, private business units, and vehicles to keep advanced fire extinguishers and other techniques, which may be beneficial for the situation. So be careful, keep all the advanced equipment ready in your business units and schools, and keep fireproof buildings in the valley. May Allah save us from any untoward situation and bestow blessings upon us.

– The writer is a resident of Raiyar-ich, Budgam. He can be reached at sahilmanzoor0401@gmail.com