After the devastating fire at Kalbadevi on Saturday, the state is trying to finally get its act together. The government claims that it will soon get all the workshops that use gas cylinders, chemicals and other inflammable articles evacuated from Kalbadevi, Chira Bazaar, Zaveri Bazaar, and other areas of C ward. Prakash Mehta, who apart from being the housing minister of the state also holds the portfolio of labour minister, told mid-day, “This decision might hurt some traders, but we cannot take any more risks and workshops using chemical and gas will be moved out from the area.”

On Saturday, Gokul Niwas, the ground-plus-four-storey building in the area came crashing down after it caught fire, resulting in the death of two firemen. The government somehow has pinned the cause of the fire on various workshops that stored inflammable items like chemicals, acid and a lot of cloth. “It is high time that these workshops are moved out from here; we cannot risk the life of our officers. If those running these industries are human beings, then even our officers who died are also human beings and we cannot let this happen,” said Mehta.