Residents protest, demand ban on ‘illegal’ parking in residential area

Indore: Residents alleged that private travel operators had been illegally parking and repairing buses in the Teen Imli locality for a long time, despite repeated complaints to authorities, and claimed no concrete action had been taken, raising questions over enforcement and safety oversight in the densely populated residential area.

Soon after the incident, angry locals, led by the area corporator, staged a sit-in protest at the site, demanding the immediate removal of buses from the neighbourhood and permanent action against such operations. Protesters said the agitation would continue until authorities assured them that private bus parking and repair activities would not resume in the area.

Municipal Corporation of Indore (MIC) member and corporator Manish Sharma said the spot where the fire broke out is a densely populated residential pocket with tin-sheet houses, narrow lanes and closely packed homes, making the situation extremely dangerous. He alleged that multiple gas cylinders were also kept at the premises, which could have triggered a major tragedy.

Sharma said the bus operators were originally allotted the space during the Simhastha period but continued operating from the area even after that. He added that he had used his own water tankers to help douse the flames during Monday’s fire. “This is a residential area and three buses have caught fire here earlier as well. In the last two years, more than 20 people have lost their lives in different road accidents in the area. There are also complaints of eve teasing,” he claimed.

The corporator said he had also raised the issue in the MIC meeting and claimed that the authorities had sought 12 days’ time to resolve the problem permanently.

“We were terrified when the explosions started. The lanes here are extremely narrow and houses are attached to each other. If the fire had spread further, the entire locality could have been affected,” said local resident Ramesh Verma.

“Buses are parked here regularly despite this being a residential area. We have been raising concerns for a long time because even a small fire can turn into a disaster in such congested surroundings,” said Sunita Patel, another resident of the area.