Srinagar: A devastating fire in Sonamarg has destroyed over 40 structures, including hotels and shops, highlighting serious concerns about the lack of firefighting infrastructure in the popular tourist destination.
On Saturday, the fire broke out at Hotel Sounsar in Sonamarg’s main market and quickly spread to adjacent shops. Though the swift response of local residents prevented any casualties, over 40 commercial establishments, including hotels, were completely gutted.
In the wake of this incident, the Sonamarg Development Authority (SDA) and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) have come under heavy criticism with locals saying despite repeated pleas from traders and hoteliers over the years, no fire station has been established in the area.
MLA Kangan, Mian Mehar Ali, also held the CEO of Sonamarg responsible for the losses, stating that despite multiple requests for space allocation to set up a fire station, no action was taken. Speaking to the media, he criticized the inaction, which he believes contributed to the extent of the damage.
“This incident shouldn’t have happened. The devastation occurred due to the absence of fire tenders,” MLA Kangan said.
He said the establishment of a Fire & Emergency Service unit at the destination was the utmost demand of the local traders but their plea was not heard by authorities sincerely.
“When I became MLA, the traders of Sonamarg visited me and put forth their first demand to establish a Fire & Emergency Service unit here. Afterwards, I met ADGP Fire & Emergency Services J&K on December 1 who rushed their team to the site to take stock of the situation,” he said.
The MLA Kangan however held CEO Sonamarg responsible for losses blaming him for the delay in addressing the demand of the local trade body.
“I held deliberations with CEO Sonamarg four to five times. I told him that the building for the Fire & Emergency Service unit cannot be constructed overnight, so till then provide us with some accommodation to deal with emergencies. But despite our pleas, he didn’t pay heed,” MLA Kangan claimed.
“The CEO Sonamarg only talks, but does not work on ground to address the situation. This shows his incompetence. Had he taken steps on time, the losses would have been minimized today,” he said.
The MLA added that one kanal of land has already been identified for the purpose, and assured locals that one room will be allocated temporarily for Fire & Emergency Services purpose, and the fire tender will be made available within 7 to 10 days.
In response, CEO Sonamarg G M Bhat stated that he had already written to the Fire and Emergency Services regarding the need for a fire station.
He said that even in consultation with the Beopar Mandal Sonamarg some accommodation was also identified but due to certain formalities the Fire & Emergency Services was still in the process to take necessary measures to establish a fire station in Sonamarg. The CEO said that this was an unfortunate incident and they are with the fire affected traders and hoteliers to provide all support from SDA.
The fire has once again brought forth the long-standing demands from Sonamarg’s traders, hoteliers, and residents for an immediate establishment of a fire station in the area. They argue that the absence of a local fire tender results in delayed responses, as fire services have to be dispatched from Gund and Kangan, located 20-40 kilometers away, worsening the damage.
Business owners recall that past fire incidents in 2006, 2007, and 2016 caused similar devastation, yet the authorities have failed to act on their promises.
Traders and residents are urging authorities to expedite the establishment of a fire services unit in Sonamarg. They said that immediate deployment of a fire tender is essential to prevent further catastrophic losses and ensure the safety of businesses and livelihoods in the area.
