India's Unsung heroes: Bipin Ganatra, a selfless firefighter

He received the award in field of social work from former president Pranab Mukherjee.

An electrician by profession, Bipin Ganatra just wears a pair of gumboots, a yellow helmet and khaki dress as soon as he gets information of a blaze in Kolkata. Although he is not a professional fire fighter but has fought over 100 fires in the chaotic city of Kolkata. He has worked tirelessly to douse flames, rescue people and clean up debris.

This sixty-year-old voluntary fire-fighter was conferred with Padma Shri award in January, 2017. He received the award in field of social work from former president Pranab Mukherjee.

"Fires talk to you. They come in red and blues. The blue ones are more lethal. And the roar tells you so much about what exactly the blaze is feeding on," Ganatra said to BBC in an interview.

When he was 12, Ganatra lost his elder brother Narendra in a fire. This triggered his decision to help anyone caught in a similar situation, but he is quick to clarify that this incident was not the only reason behind his passion for firefighting.

Ganatra originally belonged to Gujarat but has spent most of his life in West Bengal. Despite his vast experience in fighting fire, he never wanted to be a firefighter. He earns about Rs 2,500 a month working as an electrician and officials in the fire department know him by name. He actually has no interest in getting a job in the fire department because then it would have become a job for him rather than the passion he has for the fire. After several years of relentless service, the fire department gave him a uniform and identity card in 1994, after which it became easier for him to help people.

Awards and accolades

• In 2017, Government of India conferred him with the Padma Shri for his unfailing dedication in helping firefighter put out fires in the city.
• In 2009, the fire department honoured Bipin Ganatra with a volunteer's metallic ID card ( a rare award) for his selfless service.

Frequent fire in Kolkata

According to reports, Kolkata is a city of frequent fires. A total of 347 people died and 1,749 were injured in some 2,000 fires in 2014. Last year, there were more than 1,600 fires, leaving 143 people dead and 974 injured in the sprawling megapolis. It's not so surprising then that the city's firemen are among the most overworked in India and Bipin's passion adds fire to douse the fire.

OneIndia News