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Kolkata: Living in the fear of another fire tragedy
NDTV Correspondent, Saturday March 27, 2010, Kolkata

Views of Stephen Court from Solomon Mansion on 7 Royd Street are giving its residents sleepless nights. (See: Your photos on Kolkata fire) The Mansion's electricals are a tangle and very close to a wooden staircase, the only exit barring the lift.

Children living there are traumatized. Priti Khosla, a tenant says, "There is a panic in them. There is no fire extinguisher in the building and she asked me, Mummy, if there is fire in this building, do we also jump from the windows?"

There used to be some spiral stairs outside the building that could be used as fire escapes. But they became decrepit and the landlord demolished them. They were never replaced. (Read: Kolkata fire: Court stops demolition of Stephen Court)

"We want safety. We have no stairs at the back so that we can run. Where to run, just tell me how to run. We shall be grateful.", adds another tenant, Ramchand J Chandramani.

Residents have gone to court because the landlord has turned much of the building into a guest house. The landlord says he has the license. The rents are so low, he has no choice.

"Because I have the guest house, I can maintain this building. Otherwise this building would have been in ruins by now. How can I manage this building with 120 or 100 or 75 rupees as rent which doesn't even come to me all the time?", says Kshitindra Mallik, the landlord.

Battles between landlords and tenants are not uncommon. But this one could turn Solomon Mansion into another Stephen Court. Is the fire department or the municipal corporation listening? (Read: Kolkata fire: Meet Stephen Court's braveheart
 
 
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Tags: fire, fire hazard, Kolkata fire, safety, Soloman mansion, Stepehn Court
Comments
Posted by KIRAN NAIR on Mar 27, 2010
Yes , yes there sre many tinder boxes in the city just waiting to ignite/ Check out 4 B Little Russel Street . Wooden Flooring, tangle of wires - all ready to ignite . As is norm - no fire protection nor any fire escape
Posted by S on Mar 27, 2010
In Kolkata, there are many buildings like Stephen court i.e old, electrical wires hanging, no fire management, illegal constructions within the building, 30-100 LPG cylinders, generators etc. One such Building is 1, AJC Bose Road. Near Exide House.
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