Jaipur: With Diwali approaching, firecracker stalls have sprung up across Jaipur, but their locations and lack of basic safety arrangements have raised concerns over public safety.In areas such as Mansarovar, Jhotwara, Durgapura and Vidyadhar Nagar, temporary stalls have come up along narrow lanes and busy roads. Several of them have encroached on public spaces, adding to traffic congestion.The situation is particularly concerning where stalls are located close to multi-storey commercial buildings, hotels and hospitals. A closer look at these locations reveals a lack of visible fire safety arrangements, including fire extinguishers, buckets of sand and other basic equipment needed to deal with emergencies.The temporary tents housing the stalls also appear to have exposed electrical wires and lighting arrangements that could pose a short-circuit risk. With firecrackers being stored and sold at these locations, even a minor fire could have serious consequences.The encroachments have further narrowed already congested roads, raising concerns over whether fire engines and ambulances would be able to reach the spot quickly in an emergency. The proximity of hospitals and other busy establishments adds to the risk.With the festive rush expected to intensify in the coming days, the lack of visible checks on the location and safety arrangements of these stalls has raised questions about the monitoring mechanism. Apart from the use of public roads for setting up the stalls, concerns remain over whether necessary safety checks were carried out before they were allowed to operate.Jaipur Municipal Corporation commissioner Om Kasera said, “If such stalls are being set up in the city, we will get the matter investigated.”
