Tenga in West Kameng has been devastated by repeated fire accidents in the last few years. It is alarming that even after such frequent fires, there seems to be no effort in place to control fire accidents.
On Saturday, 47 houses and 15 shops were consumed by a fire in Tenga market. This was the third major fire accident in as many years. The town was ravaged by fire in December 2022, and in February 2024, one person was killed when a fire broke out. All these incidents occurred during winter. The long, dry winter contributes to the spread of fire.
The town is heavily congested. The marketplaces, in particular, have little to no space, with shops and residences situated very close to each other. The bustling market area is frequented not only by civilians but also by defence personnel, as well as being a popular stop for tourists who flock to the region year-round.
Not only Tenga, but many areas in the district are prone to fires, particularly forest fires, due to the dry winter.
As we have suggested earlier, one cannot do much to stop the dry winter, but it is entirely in the hands of the government and the people to ensure that fire accidents are prevented. Since fire accidents are frequent in the state, the government must ensure that every district and major village is equipped with proper firefighting resources, including working fire hydrants and trained firefighters to handle fire disasters. Right now, not all district headquarters have a fire station.
Communities must be involved in combating fire accidents, and the traditional methods of keeping their surroundings and homes safe must be reintroduced. Regular fire safety measures should also be taught in schools.
One of the major contributors to fire accidents is electrical short circuits, which is officially cited as one of the leading causes of fires in Arunachal Pradesh.
Fire accidents are preventable; yet, they regularly occur across the state. There must be an end to this. Fix the wires, fill the fire trucks with water, and bring the entire state under the coverage of the fire-fighting department.