This was revealed at a health camp organised at the headquarters of the Fire and Emergency Services Department today.
At the camp, organised by a private pharmaceuticals company at Free School Street, lungs and respiratory tracts of about 200 firemen were examined. The condition of the organs of some of these men is stated to be critical.
The respiratory tracts of around 20 firemen were found to be not normal.
The firemen were put through a ‘peak flow meter’ test for their lungs and the ‘spyrometry’ to examine the respiratory condition of a patient.
“I had to tend to the fire in Nandaram market from January 13 to 15. We had to work for long hours in dense smoke,” said the Shubhankar Ghosh (36). The international measurement (i.u.) (the unit used in the spyrometry test) of Shubhankar is abnormally low.
“Ghosh’s i.u is 580. A man of his weight and height should have an i.u of 631 units,” said an officials at the camp.
Besides the firemen, forty-eight-year-old Aloke Kumar Roy and fifty-five-year-old Sanat Kumar Bag were some of the staff members of the fire services department who were exposed to the Nandaram fire for long hours.
About 400 firemen had to be pressed into service to control the fire in Nandaram market which broke out on January 12.
Nandaram market likely to open next week
The underground floor of the Kashiram market, which was damaged by a fire on January 12, is likely to open next week after receiving a no-objection certificate from the fire and emergency services department. “We will not object to the opening of the market, if the fire department gives them a clearance certificate,” said Gora Chand Mondol, DG of the KMC’s buildings department. The secretary of the Nandaram market, Samar Choudhury, said that the KMC has already provided clearance to the 125 shops in the underground floor of the market and they are waiting for a nod from the fire and emergency services department. “The CESC has already promised to provide us with power connection,” he added. The fire and emergency services department will inspect the ground floor on Friday and is most likely to submit its report next week. “The underground floor has been badly damaged. We cannot promise anything before we receive the inspection report on Tuesday. My officers will visit the damaged floor to inspect its condition,” said DG, fire and emergency services department, Anil Kumar.