Daijiworld Media Network - Vasco
Vasco, Oct 29: Traders affected by the devastating fire at Vasco’s Sunday Market have demanded that the incident be declared a State Disaster, along with full compensation, a thorough inquiry into the cause of the blaze and urgent rehabilitation to help them resume business.
The fire, which destroyed most of the market on Wednesday night, has left traders facing heavy losses just days before Diwali. Several merchants had borrowed money to purchase festive stock and are now burdened with debts and no immediate source of income.
“Except for a few shops, the entire market has been completely destroyed. There must be an inquiry and a full investigation into how the fire broke out,” a trader said. The traders also insisted that they should not be forced to relocate permanently and urged the government to provide alternative space at the earliest to help them restart their businesses.
The affected merchants said they were still struggling to assess their losses and recover from the shock. They plan to consult one another and prepare a transparent list of losses, including identifying shops that had little or no stock when the fire broke out, to ensure that government assistance reaches those affected fairly.
Highlighting the extent of the damage, a trader said his brother had brought in merchandise worth Rs 11 lakh just a day before the fire. Of this, Rs 7 lakh had been obtained on credit from suppliers, while the remaining Rs 4 lakh had been arranged from other sources. With only two major sales days remaining before Diwali, the entire stock was lost. The trader estimated that around 70 per cent of merchants had lost their entire inventory.
Meanwhile, Vasco MLA Krishna Salkar announced that he would donate an amount equivalent to two years of his salary to the relief fund. The money will be used to provide immediate financial assistance to affected traders through individual cheques.
Describing the incident as tragic, Salkar said fires had broken out at three locations simultaneously on Wednesday, requiring firefighting teams to respond to multiple emergencies as the market blaze spread.
He said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant reached the site around midnight and monitored the firefighting operations in coordination with senior officials, including the Collector, Director General of Police and Director of Fire and Emergency Services. The fire was completely extinguished by around 3.30 am, he said.
Salkar added that the chief minister had scheduled a virtual meeting with representatives of the vendor associations to discuss immediate relief and rehabilitation measures. The MLA said he had urged the government to extend prompt financial assistance to the affected vendors so they could rebuild their livelihoods.
The government will decide the final relief package, but maximum assistance will be provided, Salkar assured. The administration has begun assessing the damage, while consultations with the two vendor associations will help determine the traders’ immediate needs.
“Relief alone is insufficient; rehabilitation and business recovery are essential,” Salkar said, stressing that the priority was to help the affected vendors resume their businesses.
He also said authorities would investigate the cause of the fire and examine possible safety lapses, including whether the market’s fire hydrants were operational. A special team comprising the Chief Secretary, Collector and DGP has been deputed to visit the site, while the chief minister has directed the DGP to investigate all possible causes of the blaze.