Though use of gas heaters and electric blankets during the chilly months of winter is a compulsion but the carelessness shown in the use of such heating appliances is consuming precious human lives year after and there is no end to it. Much before the commencement of the harshest 40 day long period of winter called “ Chilla-i-Kalan” a couple died of suffocation caused by asphyxiation in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district. In fact deaths caused by the asphyxiation by use of gas heaters are showing an alarming rise in valley year after year. Unfortunately neither the government takes note of the manufacturing defects in gas heaters becoming the cause of asphyxiation leading to deaths nor the people take precautions while using gas heaters and more so during night. The carelessness of the users by all probabilities is to be blamed for the deaths caused due to asphyxiation by the use of gas heaters as people blindly purchase locally made gas heaters from the local sales outlets to risk their lives during chilly months of winter in valley. Though it would have been better for the people to avoid use of gas heaters during the night as in most of the case people die due to asphyxiation by use of gas heaters during night hours only, but they use it more during night only to risk their lives and unfortunately most of such people have died due to asphyxiation during nights in recent years. Ironically people don’t switch off their gas heaters for the purposes of their own safety during night when there are higher chances of asphyxiation. Unfortunately the people don’t take precautions even after knowing it that hundreds of people have died due to asphyxiation by use of gas heaters during chilly cold months of winter in recent years. While the people have to take precautions while using gas heaters during night, the government too has to look into the manufacturing defects in such brands of gas heaters which obviously show rise in the chances of asphyxiation. Though some brands of gas heaters may have little chances of leakages but gas heaters manufactured locally are proving fatal for the people during chilly months of winter in valley.
Since the consumer protection is the domain of the Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs department in Jammu & Kashmir the directorate in Kashmir has an institutional and administrative obligation to take an urgent call over the manufacture of defective gas heaters by local manufacturing units in Srinagar and other districts of Kashmir valley.
The Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) department obliged to take care of the consumer’s right owes explanations for allowing the sale of locally manufactured gas heaters for lavish use both at commercial places and as well as residential houses. The manufacturing of the gas heaters by the local manufacturing units and their sale at local sales outlets has to be stopped only by Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) department immediately and even a blanket ban on the manufacture of gas heaters by local manufacturing units has to be stopped to reduce the chances of asphyxiation. Since the consumer protection is the domain of the Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs department in Jammu & Kashmir the directorate in Kashmir has an institutional and administrative obligation to take an urgent call over the manufacture of defective gas heaters by local manufacturing units in Srinagar and other districts of Kashmir valley.
