As per protocol, a fair of this stature must have a conditional fire NOC before the fair begins and after fulfilling the conditions of the fire department the organisers can get a permanent NOC. However, in case of the Kolkata Book Fair, all rules and regulations appear to have been compromised.

Significantly, the fair ground does not has properly-spaced lanes through which a fire engine can move during emergencies. According to a senior official of Fire and Emergency Services, there should be a lane of 5 meters breadth for fire engines to move. Moreover, the ground cannot bear the weight of a fire engine. A water reservoir is also under construction.

The inadequacies in the firefighting measures in the fair became very glaring when a small fire broke out in a stall on Monday, as fire engines could not reach there. However, the fire was in an initial stage and it was brought under control by fire-extinguishers.

When contacted, Chatterjee said: “I admit that the firefighting measures are inadequate as the fair ground in still under construction. We have given them a conditional NOC so that the fair can go on.”

A senior fire department official said the people are emotionally attached to the fair and it also enjoys the support of political various political parties . “We can only try to make it as safe as possible,” the official added.