After the Mahakumbh Nagar fire on January 19, a total of 270 illegal cooking gas cylinders were confiscated in the last four days during searches in various parts of the Mela area, officials said.
In the latest raids which began at 8am on Thursday, a total of 153 illegal 5kg ‘non-ISI mark’ cylinders were seized from different sectors of the Mela. The fire had broken out at the Gita Press Camp on Sunday but alertness of the Mela authorities and fire-fighters averted a tragedy and there was no loss of life. Leakage from a cylinder was suspected to have led to the fire.
Chief fire officer (CFO) Mahakumbh Pramod Sharma said, “The 153 unauthorised small cylinders were recovered from the tents of Kalpvasis and roadside shopkeepers on Thursday. A total of 270 cylinders have been confiscated in the last four days. The seized cylinders have been discarded after extracting gas at IOC’s plant in Jhunsi.”
Sharma further said that action would also be initiated against those indulging in sale and refilling of illegal 5kg “non-ISI” cylinders in areas adjacent to the Mela for which search operations were being carried out. He said that in order to spend less, people were buying unauthorised small cylinders sold in the open market and getting gas the refilled illegally.
{{/usCountry}}Sharma further said that action would also be initiated against those indulging in sale and refilling of illegal 5kg “non-ISI” cylinders in areas adjacent to the Mela for which search operations were being carried out. He said that in order to spend less, people were buying unauthorised small cylinders sold in the open market and getting gas the refilled illegally.
{{/usCountry}}Hindustan Times on Tuesday (January 21) had reported that a significant chunk of pilgrims with limited means at the Mahakumbh Nagar were using the comparatively cheaper and illegal, small “non-ISI” mark 5kg cylinders, risking their lives as-well-as those in the vicinity, even as people in the illegal cylinder business roamed around the Mela area eyeing customers and striking deals, despite a ban.
After publication of the report, an official communique also cautioned the public against the use of the illegal, small “non-ISI” mark 5kg cylinders as these put lives of pilgrims at risk.