The building houses many offices, godowns and residential units .Photo by Indranil Das
An owner of a godown inside the building said the occupants were caught between different agencies. “The fire department is asking for a no-objection from the local police station while the cops are saying the fire department has not given the permission,” said the owner. A fire department officer said access could not be allowed until the required clearances were issued. “We can allow only after the police and the KMC have issued a no objection,” said the official.
Nandwani (48) was among the residents left in limbo after the Aug 19 fire at the five-storey building, which houses lodges, offices, eateries and other commercial establishments. Because the entire building has been sealed by the administration, yet, a week after the blaze, she remains displaced, unable to return to the flat she has lived in.
I could retrieve only a couple of dresses,” said Nandwani. Kolkata: For Meena Nandwani, the fire at Free School Street destroyed little inside her first-floor home. She rushed out of the building when the fire broke out, carrying nothing except the clothes she was wearing. “A few hours later, they allowed us to go inside for a few minutes.