Karimnagar district faces dire shortage of fire stations

Karimnagar : The erstwhile Karimnagar district faces a critical shortage of fire stations, putting lives and property at risk during accidents. With only one available vehicle at the constituency centre, the response to incidents is hampered, leading to increased damages.

When accidents happen in summer, it is not possible to bring vehicles from neighboring centres. During the last four years, firemen of all 13 centres across the district have saved properties worth Rs 42.4 crore through rescue operations. If more fire stations are established, vehicles are increased, and personnel appointed, there are opportunities to take immediate relief measures in times of danger.

The government has conducted tests and made postings to allocate personnel to new fire stations, but the completion of training and prompt duty commencement are crucial for addressing the challenges. Proposals for allocating more vehicles and establishing a centre for each of the two mandals are on the table, offering hope for reducing the severity of losses.

Karimnagar currently has only one fire vehicle while it requires two. Huzurabad, Manakondur, Choppadandi, and Jammikuta each have one vehicle. In the event of a major accident in Karimnagar, services are sought from Choppadandi and Manakondur centres. The required 120 staff are only partially met with 50 available. Urgent allocation of two additional vehicles and staff appointments in Karimnagar is crucial.

In Rajanna Sircilla district, Sircilla and Vemulawada constituencies have one fire station each, but the shortage of staff and functioning vehicles poses challenges. The lack of a working vehicle has been reported, and vital posts remain vacant, affecting timely responses to fire accidents.

Peddapalli district with 14 mandals faces a shortage of staff, vehicles, and infrastructure. Proposals for a new building in Peddapalli district centre and additional resources have been submitted without a response. The absence of a centre in Korutla further exacerbates the issue, with the proposed site having only half the required staff.

In a statement to The Hans India, Karimnagar District Fire Officer Tagaram Venkanna acknowledged the challenges, mentioning that pending bills are being addressed, and some are being sanctioned by the Director of General Fire Services. “The available staff is responding timely to fire accidents,” he said. Responding to the fire that occurred about three days ago, he said, “The accident that took place there was immediately brought under control and a huge damage was prevented.”

Despite the hurdles, he said that awareness programmes are being conducted five days a week to prevent fire accidents in commercial complexes. “Moreover, 61 firemen have been appointed in erstwhile Karimnagar district and they will join duty after four months of training,” he said.

“In the background of summer, the staff are not being granted leave unless it is urgent, people also want to reduce electricity overloading and avoid accidents,” said the fire officer.