A major fire in Lucknow broke all limits of negligence. The illegally constructed building had a basement, first, second, and third floors. The upper floor housed an animation coaching center, where teenagers up to 12th grade were being coached. With countless dreams and enthusiasm, they were embracing the new animation education. On Monday, a fire broke out in this three-story building in Aliganj, Lucknow. The first floor housed birds and animals. The second floor was a warehouse, and the third floor housed the animation coaching center. The fire broke out on the second floor and within no time, the entire building was engulfed in flames. Black smoke filled the building. Students inside ran out. However, the entrance to this building was narrow and the exit door was narrow. The rooftop door was also locked.
Trapped in the middle, the young men were sending messages to their relatives on their mobile phones, desperate for survival. Whether they were fathers or brothers, they stood helpless. The government’s effective machinery could have extinguished the fire; how could they have saved lives? The back wall of the building was quickly demolished. A few children were rescued from there. Some grabbed a cable and jumped. Some, trying to save their lives, broke a window and jumped, now in the hospital. Those who ran and hid in the bathroom suffocated. Only two survived.
Repeatedly evading the law to pursue their own selfish ends, a few people build multi-story buildings in the crowded metropolis. Some are building hotels, some are building coaching centers, some are building one-room houses. Even if precautions or laws are followed, it costs money. But why would selfish people waste money? Capitals are supposedly smart, but in these unknown areas of the capital, a game of death is played by breaking the law, which the Supreme Court calls encroachment and warns the public against. Who listens to the warnings? Because the black sheep hidden in the administration clear their path, and they continue with their work.
This commercial building was constructed in 2014. It was discovered that a demolition notice was issued two or three years later, but these encroachers are adept at evading notices and legal punishment. This building, too, had survived for years despite demolition notices. Now, when it has claimed 15 lives, the system has woken up.
The Chief Minister has formed an SIT, and 22 more such coaching institutes have been sealed in Kanpur. This alone gives an idea of the scale of this encroachment. On June 3, 21 people were burned in a hotel in Malviya Nagar, Delhi, resulting in 15 deaths. Now, the law has arrested the landowner. Compensation of Rs. 5 lakh each has been announced for the dependents of the deceased.
Each time, it feels like a case of retaliation after the situation has passed. Why are these selfish individuals who commit illegal encroachments stopped from the outset by the law? Why do those who enforce the law tolerate and turn a blind eye to those who violate the law? These are some of the questions that arise after every such horrific incident.
The only solution is to follow the law, not to indulge selfish interests. If this perspective does not change, the common man will have to face such horrific incidents.