The Surat Municipal Corporation’s (SMC) Limbayat zone sent a warning to the Avadh Ruturaj textile market a day after it caught fire on Friday night, directing it to have a Government-approved firm conduct a structural stability inspection of the premises.
In the meantime, the market stayed closed because the fire-related power outage was not fixed on Saturday. The merchants stated that the stoppage has resulted in significant financial losses for them.
On Friday night, a fire started in one of the stores located on the fifth level of the Punagam market. The flammable material caused the fire to spread to nearby stores. According to authorities from the Surat fire department, sprinklers were employed, but they were unable to contain the fires. There are 1,300 textile trading shops in the market.
According to Divisional Fire Officer Ishwar Patel, the market’s textile vendors have created little rooms in the upper part of their stores where they keep textile inventory. A short circuit produced a fire that destroyed ten stores on the fifth floor. The concrete slabs on the ceiling, columns, and beams have collapsed as a result of the fire. Since the market is dangerous, the management committee has been directed to prevent anyone from entering.
Deputy Commissioner N H Patel of SMC’s Limbayat zone said that the Avadh Ruturaj market has received a notice prohibiting vendors from operating there any longer due to a weak internal structure. They have been instructed to complete the structural stability report from a company that has been approved by the Government. The market’s power supply has been cut off.
According to Vicky Sharma, market manager for Avadh Ruturaj Textile, the process of hiring a Government-approved company to do a structural stability analysis has begun in response to the notice. Additionally, a Government-approved electrical company has been approached to obtain the certificate, which will then be presented to SMC to activate the market.
