Delhi prepared to tackle incidents on Diwali, says city's fire service chief

The Delhi fire service has made all the arrangements to tackle fire incidents on Diwali even though bursting firecrackers have been banned in the national capital.

The Delhi fire service has made all the arrangements to tackle fire incidents on Diwali even though bursting firecrackers have been banned in the national capital. The Delhi fire service director on Monday told news agency ANI that they “have not let their guard down”. He also mentioned that they do not expect many incidents due to the ban.

Delhi prepared to tackle incidents on Diwali, says city's fire service chief (ANI Photo)

“We are prepared with drones and to access high-rise buildings. Fire tenders have been deployed near congested areas. However, we expect there will not be many fire-related incidents as firecrackers are banned,” he told ANI.

Earlier this month, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena had told the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) that it should set up 16 new fire stations across the city and add 130 fire tenders to its fleet to improve fire safety and response time to fire disasters.

Meanwhile, Delhi has imposed a blanket ban on firecrackers due to the increasing air pollution. Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai had said that bursting of crackers on Diwali in Delhi can lead to a jail term of up to six months and a fine of ₹200. He added that the production, storage, and sale of firecrackers in the capital will attract a fine of up to ₹5,000 and imprisonment for three years under Section 9B of the Explosives Act.

(With inputs from ANI)