Being Death's guest

In recent days there has been a surge in Mall crazy Indians.

They throng the shopping malls and multiplexes on any given day. Shopping malls in the city have become a favorite time pass destination for the crazy and busy city crowds. The recent birth of new malls like Big Bazaar, Hyderabad Central, CMR and oldies like Prasad's, Chandana etc., are witnessing heavy crowds not only on weekends but also on weekdays. Most young boys are seen ogling at girls. Most people seem to come and do window shopping rather than really buy something.

Recently I have been to Prasads and Big Bazaar in Ameerpet. I was taken aback by the number of people visiting these places. Heavy trafiic jams are casued in their localities.
What people fail to realize by visiting these places is that they are coming too close to disaster. Let me explain. It is an open secret, being time and again published in leading newpapers, that most of these malls are devoid of any permissions and safety standards. For example the new Big Bazaar at ameerpet is lacking in fire safety measures but has been granted permissions. And everyone knows how.

I went with my wife and kid on saturday by walk from my house, as the entire punjagutta - ameerpet road was jammed. After reaching there and entering inside, we were lost. Yes really. We were forced to follow the crowd instead of wandering at our will. The whole mall was full of people trying to find their way stopping and moving at snails pace. And then there were these really slippery steps, at the end of which was a wall leaving just 2 feet of space. The escalators, elevator and the staircase, all were full of people.

Coming to the point, these places are the most dangerous. With such huge crowds in the vicinity, a small unfortunate fire accident can cause a massive stampede and can kill hundreds of innocent children and people. I bet, nobody can escape from these buildings without getting bruised( the luckiest ) and most will face death. Even a small bomb scare can cause a panic situation. There is no place to hide from the stampede. There is no space to walk or run. There is only one way, i.e to die. Thinking about such an incident sends a chill down my spine. Not that movie theatres and auditoriums are vulnerable. But these malls are too much. And remember no ambulance and no fire engine can reach these places with the ever occuring dense traffic jams!! People who escape with injuries also may succumb due to non-availability of medical care.
There is a sign on the back stairs of Prasads (from where one gets out of the theatres). It reads
"This is a temporary arrangement and a better facility will be provided soon". But things are the same even now. The stairs are too narrow and with a low roof. The corrupt officials turn a blind eye towards such irregularities and lapses.If something happens, people will die in hundreds. The last time I had been to prasads it was so difficult to cross the path at the escalator end points.People were just coming in!!

Corrupt officials keep giving permission to unsafe buildings. They do not care about peoples lives. They just fill their pockets. There is no end to greed.

I suggest to do shopping locally and go to these malls only if you think that you can really save something. Anyway, next time you go to any of these malls be on guard. I can vouch that these are the most unsafe places to go. Be prepared to face any mishap.

Avoid being Death's guest. Happy and safe shopping to you and your family!!!