Shopkeepers form civil defence unit, with a little help from police

The recent blasts having re-emphasised the susceptibility of markets in the face of such attacks, South Delhi’s Khan Market has decided to up its antennae. Shopkeepers have now pooled resources with the police to deal with any contingency by forming a civil defence unit among themselves.

As of now, 18 shop owners from the market have volunteered for the task and each has been assigned specific roles in the case of an emergency. These include:

* Closing shops at the earliest to ensure people are evacuated without panic

* Cordoning off the affected site from crowds

* Blocking or diverting traffic at the market’s entry point to avoid bottlenecks and confusion

* Ensuring smooth vehicular movement in the area, and

* Taking measures to meet medical emergencies and rushing injured to hospitals.

The volunteers have also undergone training in fist-aid under supervision of the police.

Sanjiv Mehra, president of Khan Market Traders’ Association, said shop owners decided to take these steps after being told by the police that the market is among high-risk target areas of the Capital. “These are precautionary measures to ensure we are prepared to meet any eventuality,” he said.

A siren has also been put up and provisions made for a member of the civil defence force to make announcement to alert shoppers from the market’s public address system. Parking attendants have also undergone special training to be on the alert, and to control traffic movements in the event of an emergency.

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