Govt keeps away from Bharatpur, still an open minefield

The frightening fireworks and defeaning explosions may have come to rest. But the danger is far from over in the Bharatpur town that still smells of gunpowder — even two days after the incident.

But what has come as most shocking is the callousness with which the defence establishment and the local administration have reacted to the tragedy. The fire that has put a serious question mark over the safety of the country’s permier defence ammunition store and the human inhabitation around them, has not even jostled the administration from its slumber. The people have not yet been warned against handling any sort of ammunition strewn in the town.

People are freely moving with the ammunition and some have been preserved them as mementos of the nightmare. Nobody seems to be bothered about the danger. “Neither police of or men from Army have told us anything about this,” said Rajaram Singhal, a local trader.

Crores of rupees have gone up in smoke and for officials it’s time for explanation. Senior defence officials concerned have been propounding the `short-circuit fire’ theory and their statements have been widely publicised in the local media. Defence Minister, who himself took stock of the situation and was briefed by the military officials and parroted what the officials have been saying in the local media.

But acknowledgement of disaster is not enough. The locals do not seek any confirmation. They have witnessed the nightmare and are still suffering its trauma. On the third day after the incident, there has not been a word on immediate relief to the depot fire victims. And compensation is still a far cry.

The height of the government’s callous attitude can be understood by the fact that almost none of the army officials have either tried to explain to people how to handle the explosives or any instructions have been passed by local administration asiding for immediate reportage of such ammunition to the nearest police station. Till Sunday morning, the third day of the fire accident, the “combing operation” to sanitise the entire surroundings had not started. Fernandes stated on Saturday evening that special ammunition disposal squads wil be pressed into the service from Sunday morning. Given that area under 8 km radius has suffered most damages, it will again require some days for the squads to make the city safe. But matter of days is not a problem in Bharatpur. Everything goes on at a snail’s pace.

The rescue exercise, The the relief operation and hopefully some compensation. The sufferers, who as it is have been rendered to no better things in life, watch at length the cavalcade of the likes of Fernandes and Ashok Gehlot pass by the sanitised routes.

“One jawan said that after all the bombs in the depot finish exploding then they will come to our help,” remarked innocently a fourteen year old Satinder from an affected village. “So I am praying that all remaining ammunition explodes fast. Then government will surely have time for us,” he added after some thoughts.