One can distinctly hear the rhythm of the shuttles of the looms as soon as one enters this craft village popularly known as the Manchester of the East. Sualkuchi, the biggest village of Assam with a population of around 50,000, is situated on the north bank of the mighty Brahmaputra. It produces over 6 million metres of white and golden Assam silk indigenously called Pat and Muga. The total number of looms in Sualkuchi is 20,502 in 2002-2003 of which 10,398 are engaged in producing white silk (Pat) and 9,602 produce golden silk (Muga). The weavers produce the cloth using 0.5 million kilograms of silk thread every year and the yearly turnover is nearly Rs. 15,000 million. Every day 17,000 weavers are engaged simultaneously in their looms deftly designing the silk-ware. Of these, 15,000 come from different areas of the State and the rest are from neighbouring areas. Fifty thousand people are employed directly or indirectly in the silk industry. The tradition of weaving in this hamlet can be traced to the 11th century when Dharmapal, of the Pal dynasty, sponsored the craft and brought 26 weaving families from Tantikuchi to Sualkuchi. The village took shape as a weaver village when the Ahoms occupied Sualkuchi defeating the Mughals in the mid 17th century. Seeing the handiwork and magnificent designs, even the Mughals had bought the cloth from the village.

The British economist Hamilton found during an economic survey in 1808, before Assam was overtaken by David Scot, the first British ruler of Assam, that Assam earned Rs. 1,30,900 by selling thread of golden silk and woven silk clothes, cotton, pepper, bell metal, mustard, ivory, etc. The survey recommended some steps to develop the silk industry so that it could get a substantial market in Europe. Some of his recommendations were that Assam should grow more mulberry trees to enable the weavers to get silk fibre, to give incentives to the weavers to rear silkworms and make silk thread, etc.

David Scot established a mulberry farm in Mangaldoi in 1842. However, successive governments in independent India have not been able to develop this traditional weaving industry of the State. Lack of an organised market, dubious role of middlemen, paucity of capital, frequent power-cuts, lack of welfare programmes, supply of raw materials, etc. are the major constraints.

The high cost of production due to inadequate raw materials poses a threat to the indigenous handloom industry of the State vis a vis cheap and apparently colourful silk produced in power-looms in other parts of the country. The raw material for weaving golden silk (Muga) comes from Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Sibsagar, Goalpara and many other places. However thread for producing white silk mainly comes from Karnataka.

The absence of any organised silkworm farming in the State has increased the price of the finished products. The weavers have gradually become dependent on the thread suppliers of Karnataka. Earlier, silk thread came from China and Japan. There was a steady supply of thread from these countries to Sualkuchi till 1963.

Later, in the name of protection to the sericulture industry of the country, the Central Government banned supply of thread from abroad. Apart from thread from Karnataka, thread also comes from Tamilnadu.

The weavers societies of the area demand that the government should open a textile and thread bank at Sualkuchi; the National Handloom Development Corporation should open a Cloth Auction Market at Sualkuchi and open sales centres at various places of the country. They also demand a Handloom Research and Training Centre, supply of thread and capital at less interest, etc.

But what prompted the action now? The buildings are not new to the Delhi skyline and many came up more than two decades ago. When asked, DFS Chief R. C. Sharma said the action had been taken in the wake of the recent Delhi High Court order in the Uphaar tragedy case, in which the families of victims were awarded Rs. 18 crore. Moreover, the court had ordered that 55 per cent of the amount would be paid by the Ansals, the owners of the cinema hall, and the remaining 45 per cent would be borne by Delhi Vidyut Board, Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Delhi Commissioner of Police (Licensing), which were held equally responsible for the disaster. Sharma said that the Delhi Fire Prevention and Fire Safety Act was enacted in 1986 and became functional in 1987 after which notifications were issued to building owners. But asked why it had taken two decades for action to be initiated, his answer was: "I joined a year ago."

His predecessor, S. K. Dheri, who had served for more than 17 years (1984-2001), had ignored this important function of the fire service. He could not be contacted because he was out of station.

Sharma said that building owners were reluctant to abide by the norms as their contention was that the norms did not exist when the building was built. Now they are unwilling to bear the additional financial burden. He said: "The cost of additional construction is Rs. 40-50 per square foot, depending on the size of the building."

Super Bazaar has wound up its business and its Liquidator, A. K. Mitra, complained that he had asked for more time but was refused. He tried to convince the DFS Chief that the situation of Super Bazaar was different from other high-rise buildings. He said: "Employees were not paid their salaries for months and the real owner of the place, that is, NDMC, is not showing any interest to set up fire-fighting apparatus despite the fact that we are paying them huge rent."

Sagar Apartments (Tilak Marg) owners have moved the court seeking more time to meet the safety norms whereas Shakuntala Apartments have asked for more time to complete the work vis-a-vis the norms. There are 17 more government and 52 private buildings which are in the sealing list and can face action any time.

The equipment or requirements are a six metre wide gate, water storage of 50,000 lakh litres, automatic sprinkler system, hose reel, portable appliances, automatic fire detection/manual alarm, public address system, exit signs properly marked, emergency power supply, provision of fireman’s switches in at least one lift, water rinser/down comer/dry rinser and compartmentation.

Sharma's answer to whether the DFS was equipped to fight fires in high-rise buildings was:

"The fire has to be fought internally." The longest ladder with them is 60 metres high and use of helicopters in fire-fighting was not considered to be of much help. He said that the DFS had its own provision for water as the DVB is supplying water for only two hours in the morning and evening. And that’s the reason that high-rise building owners have been asked to maintain underground or overhead tanks depending on the structure of the building.

Beating the summer 250 years ago