Delhi govt to set up 10 new fire stations

New DelhiThe Delhi government, in a bid to boost firefighting operations, is planning to set up 10 new fire stations at strategic locations across the city, officials said on Wednesday

New Delhi

Of the 10 stations under consideration, eight are proposed to be developed in the first phase. (Representative photo)

The Delhi government, in a bid to boost firefighting operations, is planning to set up 10 new fire stations at strategic locations across the city, officials said on Wednesday.

The proposed stations are likely to come up at Geeta Colony, Rohini Sector 41, Yamuna Vihar, Dwarka Sector 20, Anand Parbat, IFC Narela, IFC Ghazipur, Chandrawal Waterworks, Budhanpur Majra Training Centre and Dwarka Sector 3, officials said.

Delhi home minister Ashish Sood told HT, “We are working to address the infrastructure gaps in the Delhi Fire Service by strengthening its manpower, augmenting firefighting capacity and improving the availability of modern equipment. Our focus is to ensure that the fire service is adequately equipped and prepared to respond swiftly and effectively to emergencies across the national capital.”

Of the 10 stations under consideration, eight are proposed to be developed in the first phase. Each of these facilities will have the capacity to accommodate up to six fire tenders, officials said, adding that the additional stations are expected to enable the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) to position more firefighting vehicles closer to areas requiring quick intervention.

Delhi currently has 71 fire stations.

The move comes against the backdrop of the Centre clearing a proposal for increasing the number of DFS personnel. On August 2, HT reported that the Union ministry of home affairs has technically vetted the DFS’s proposal to increase its personnel strength, by approving the creation of 10,743 new posts to plug a longstanding gap in emergency response service.

Officials said on Wednesday that they are working on the modalities to delegate personnel for the new facilities.

A senior Delhi government officer, who did not wish to be named, said that the DFS has initiated discussions with the Public Works Department (PWD) for construction of the proposed stations. However, work will commence only after issues relating to land availability, approach roads and technical and equipment requirements are assessed and finalised, the officer said.

The expansion plan comes after a series of deadly fires in the Capital raised concerns over the preparedness and response capabilities of the city’s firefighting machinery.

On June 3, 23 people, mostly foreign nationals, died in a fire at a bed and breakfast facility in Hauz Rani. Two previous fires, on March 18 and May 3, at residential buildings in Palam and Vivek Vihar had claimed nine lives each.

Following the Hauz Rani fire, the government stepped up inspections of fire stations and reviewed the operational preparedness of the DFS.

During a surprise check on June 17, home minister Sood took stock of response time, the condition of firefighting equipment and the overall preparedness of personnel at the Naraina fire station, following which the government directed senior DFS officials to address gaps in technology, documentation and infrastructure on priority. The government is now seeking to strengthen both the physical infrastructure and operational capacity of the fire services, officials said.

The proposed stations are expected to improve the geographical spread of firefighting facilities and reduce the distance fire tenders have to travel to reach incident sites. Officials said the expansion, along with improvements identified during recent inspections, is aimed at ensuring a faster and more effective response during emergencies.