OPINION: Both BJP & AAP owe answerability for Bawana fire tragedy

Bawana fire: We must move from damage control to damage prevention.

Police stand guard and journalists gather in front of a plastic factory in the Bawana industrial area on the northern edge of New Delhi on January 20, 2018 after a fire killed at least 17 workers. At least 17 workers were killed on January 20, 2018 in a fire at a factory on the outskirts of India's capital, officials said. / AFP PHOTO / SAJJAD HUSSAIN

New Delhi: On Saturday, 17 people lost their lives and two injured in a massive fire at a firecracker storage unit in outer Delhi's Bawana industrial area. The fire, which started at the storage unit on the ground floor of a two-story building, tore through the structure and ten women and seven men were killed. An investigation is on to ascertain the cause of the blaze. The Delhi government ordered an inquiry and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said he was keeping a "close watch" on the rescue operations.

V sad to hear abt large no of casualties. Keeping a close watch on rescue operations https://t.co/yHwQAH0bKi

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 20, 2018

North Delhi Mayor Preeti Aggarwal rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation while Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari announced compensation of Rs 50,000 to the victims of fire incident.

#WATCH: In the aftermath of Bawana factory fire, BJP leader & North Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor Preeti Aggarwal caught on cam telling her aide, 'iss factory ki licensing hamare paas hai isliye hum kuch nahi bol sakte.' The incident has claimed 17 lives. #Delhi pic.twitter.com/zXfVjNADl2 — ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2018

But is that enough? Is any amount of money can compensate the loss of human lives? Why government always does damage control after some mishap happens? Relatives of dead and injured victims from a plastic factory fire react inside a hospital at Bawana, on the outskirts of New Delhi, on January 20, 2018. AFP PHOTO / SAJJAD HUSSAIN Delhi government is blaming BJP and BJP, Delhi government. And between all this blame game, human lives lost! Giving license to a factory in Delhi is the responsibility of MCD (which is run by BJP). However, the place where the incident happened comes under the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC established in 1971) which reports directly to the Delhi Government. "The factory falls in the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) area," a senior NDMC official said, reported news agency PTI. So both AAP and BJP owe answerability. Interestingly, nearly two-week back the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) had accused civic authorities of allowing industries to operate in residential areas of the national capital without mandatory clearances. It had issued a notification barring them from granting any licenses or water and power connections to industrial units, in residential as well as approved areas, not having the 'Consent to Establish' from the environment department. Recently, the Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority had warned that it may seal such illegal units if the authorities do not act immediately. "Industries/units in approved industrial areas or estates or redevelopment areas and conforming areas as notified under the Master Plan of Delhi shall have to come after obtaining Consent to Establish under the Air & Water Acts from the DPCC. "All government agencies such as municipal corporations or local bodies, discoms, Delhi Jal Board etc. shall not grant or issue any license or permission or electricity connection or water supply connection or sewer connection to the industries or units without having consent to establish under the Air and Water acts from the DPCC," the notification had said, reported PTI. We must move from damage control to damage prevention. Incidents like these pose a direct question that if this is the situation in the national capital then what will be the situation in the rest of the country. About the author: Author Anurag Kumar is an Associate Producer in ABP News Network Pvt Ltd and tweets at @AnuragSason Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author are personal and do not reflect the opinions, beliefs and views of ABP News Network Pvt Ltd.