Authorities at J&K Wakf Board have failed to implement the much-needed measures to ensure safety of shrines particularly against fire incidents.
In November 2018, after thespire of Khanqah-e-Moula destroyed in a fire incident here, the then ChiefMinister Mehbooba Mufti had called for a safety audit of all shrines acrossKashmir.
The government had directed the Board, Fire and EmergencyServices, Power Development Department (PDD), Public Health Engineering (PHE),Police, Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and other related departments tojointly conduct the safety audit and suggest measures to protect the shrines.
In response, the PDD cameout with a proposal for re-electrification of some shrines and asked the WakfBoard to release Rs 92 lakh, an official said. But, he said, the Board sat onthe proposal citing “shortage of funds”.
Some of the proposedmeasures which were to be taken for protection and enhancement of the safety ofshrines included installation of fire hydrants, smoke alarms and CCTVs at eachshrines.
The official said so far”nothing satisfactory” has been done to enhance safety of these revered places.
The Board’s own proposal of installing anti-lightningequipment and CCTV cameras in shrines has not seen any progress.
Over the years Kashmir has witnessed several fire incidentsin which shrine suffered major damage.
In 2012, the 245-year-oldDastageer Sahib shrine was gutted in a fire incident. The then Chief MinisterOmar Abdullah had also ordered a fire safety audit of all major shrines in theKashmir.
A committee was constituted to inquire into Dastageer Sahibshrine fire episode as well. Apart from seeking a detailed probe by agenciesconcerned to find out the exact cause of fire, the committee had suggested aslew of measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future.
But none of theserecommendations were implemented, said the official.
In November 2018, one of the holiest shrines of Kashmir,Khanqah-e-Moula, caught fire and much of its upper portion went up in theflames. A few months later, a fire broke out at Dastageer Sahab (RA) Masjid.
It is not just the fire incidentsbut lack of maintenance was another issues.
An old ceiling fan fell on a devotee at Asar-i-Sharief shrineat Kalashpora here. The Intizamia committee of the shrine complained thatceiling fans in the shrine had been installed 40 years ago and had turnedrusty.
The Wakf authorities never repaired or replaced the fans, thecommittee said.
The installation of the CCTV cameras had been entrusted tothe state Home department’s security wing.
As of now the Board has installed cameras only at a few shrines– Assari Sharief Hazratbal, Makhdoom Sahib, Peer Dastigeer Sahab, KhawjaNaqashband Sahab, Syed Yaqoob Sahab, Sonwar; Syed Mantaqi Sahab, Awantipora;and Charari-e –Sharief. There are more than 93 shrines and Masjids that areunder the control of the Board.
“The government and officials from Waqf Board make bigstatement about the safety of the shrine, but later forget their promises,”said a devotee at Hazratbal shrine here.
The Secretary Wakf Board, Showkat Beigh said fireextinguishers have been installed at most of the shrines. “Other measures arebeing implemented to enhance safety of the shrines,” he said.