New Town shanties gutted in blaze

A STAFF REPORTER

A fire around Sunday noon gutted about 150 shanties in Rajarhat's Atghara, about 5km from City Centre II. Tall flames forced neighbours to run out of their homes to safety. Seven fire-tenders took about two hours to douse the flames in the walled compound where people lived in tiny hutments, some of which were also used for storing combustible waste like paper and old shoes. A group of neighbours protested in front of police and vowed not to let the shanties be rebuilt. "All the hutments used to store combustible materials. We have repeatedly complained to the local municipality but no action has been taken," said a resident of the area. The area, like other pockets of New Town, is witnessing a construction boom. At least three apartment blocks are coming up adjacent to the plot where the shanties stood. Some residents alleged that the fire could have been ignited by a builder eyeing the plot. Fire brigade sources said the blaze had started in the middle of the 10,000sq ft plot and spread to the hutments made of plastic and bamboo materials, both highly inflammable. Old plastic bottles, rubber shoes, paper, batteries and discarded electronic goods were found lying scattered. Police are looking for Khokon Mondal and his three brothers, who own the plot where the shanties were built. "The materials used to build the hutments and the items stored inside helped the fire to spread rapidly," said a fire brigade officer. "Whatever I had has been burnt. The little utensils, some clothes, everything," said Sabir Hossain, who lived in one of the hutments. Feroza Bibi, whose house is located next to the boundary wall of the compound, fled soon after the fire. "The flames were almost 40ft tall and the heat became unbearable. We were scared and fled our home," she said. There were no reports of any death or serious injury. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130520/jsp/calcutta/story_16915839.jsp