With the Onam sales season around the corner, Broadway, the commercial nerve centre of Kochi city, is busy stocking up on goods in anticipation of a surge in customer footfall. However, the sales hub’s long-pending safety concerns, especially regarding potential fire outbreaks, remain largely unaddressed.

No concrete measures have been taken to mitigate damage in the event of another fire on the congested streets, with government intervention remaining limited to routine communications. Though the District Collector had instructed Kerala Water Authority (KWA) officials to install fire hydrants in Broadway without delay following a major fire at Koluthara Bazaar in December 2025, the proposal now appears unlikely to be implemented.

Sources with the KWA said the agency had informed the Fire and Rescue Services department that installing hydrants at locations including Broadway would be a futile exercise, as the pipelines do not provide a round-the-clock water supply. “The Fire and Rescue Services require water supply to the hydrants round the clock at a prescribed pressure level. Unfortunately, our lines cannot ensure it,” a KWA official said.

Fire officials, meanwhile, said that besides the lack of hydrants, unscientific parking along the congested streets continues to pose safety risks, especially during firefighting operations. The officials, however, said the department had shared with the Kochi Corporation fire safety instructions to be issued to traders in the area in view of the festival season. The instructions pertain to ensuring rescue routes and emergency exits and installing the required firefighting equipment in buildings.

“The department will conduct inspections at Broadway ahead of the Onam market season and sensitise traders and customers about the safety measures they should follow,” a fire and rescue officer said. He added that almost all shops in Koluthara Bazaar and Mather Bazaar had installed fire extinguishers and obtained clearance from the Electrical Inspectorate following last year’s major fire.

P.A. Sageer, president of the Broadway Shop Owners Association, meanwhile, reiterated that the traders’ demand for adequate safety measures in the area had yet to be met. “We are yet to see any proper fire safety measures implemented. Besides that, the parking issue has been getting worse. Also, we have sought the government’s intervention to control the growing presence of alms-seekers on the streets,” he said.

Kochi Corporation Mayor V.K. Minimol said a meeting of shop owners and other stakeholders would be convened soon to discuss steps to avoid any untoward incidents during the Onam season. “A set of common guidelines relating to issues including parking woes, fire safety measures and garbage collection will be issued,” she said.

Published - July 27, 2026 08:45 pm IST