Fire mishaps have now become a common sight in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits and the State government seems to be least worried.
This is being vulnerably exposed when it comes to dealing with fire accidents. According to the guidelines of Standing Fire Advisory Council, there should be one fire station for every 50,000 population or in a 10 sq km area.
Currently, the GHMC is spread over 625 sq km, with a population of about 80 lakh as per the 2011 Census, covering revenue mandals of Hyderabad and parts of Rangareddy and Medak districts. This clearly indicates that the Greater Hyderabad city requires no less than 175 fire stations.
Unfortunately, there is just one fire station for 3.65 lakh people and 41 sq km area approximately in the GHMC limits, as against the Council guidelines of one fire station for a population of 50,000 or in 10 sq.km area.
Fire Wing officials of GHMC confessed to City Express that the city does not have adequate fire stations. To meet the requirement of 80 lakh population, only 15 fire stations are functioning in the GHMC limits. They include Gowliguda, Malakpet, Chandulal Baradari, Moghalpura, Musheerabad, Moulali, Sanathagar, Secretariat, Punjagutta, Langer House, Habsiguda, Uppal, Patancheru, Chanchalguda, Malkajgiri and SP Road in Secunderabad.
However, another five fire stations have been proposed at Andhra Pradesh High Court, State Legislative Assembly, Salar Jung Museum, Kukatpally and Madhapur.
With the population of the city increasing at a fast pace, the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Response and Fire Services has brought to the notice of the State government the need to establish at least 20 to 25 new fire stations in the GHMC limits so that the fire emergencies can be rushed to in just a matter of minutes, thus minimising the loss of lives and properties, they said.
The department is preparing a plan for fire hazard response and mitigation for ‘Million Plus City’Hyderabad 2013 – 2014, and said that the XIII Finance Commission envisages that all the municipal corporations with a population of more than one million must put in place a fire hazard response and mitigation plan in their jurisdiction.
To that effect, the State government has sanctioned Rs 12.55 crore as fire service component under non recurring expenditure. The amount will be utilised by procuring flood de-watering pumps, monsoon management equipment, turn table ladders, water mist technology vehicles and fire proximity suits and others.
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