Hanging fire stations

Three-and-a-half years ago the state government sanctioned 16 additional fire stations, to the existing 13, across the city in accordance with the recommendations made by the 13th Finance Commission. However, only six fire stations have come up till date under Phase 1 works. The rest are hanging fire mainly due to lack of funds. Even the ‘completed’ ones are bogged down in issues like lack of parking space for fire tenders and manpower shortage.

19 May, 2011, has been a red-letter day for the Fire Department, as it was on this day that the state government, acting on the recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission, issued a GO sanctioning an additional 16 fire stations across the city. The fire stations were scheduled to be built in three phases by 2013.

As things stand, the Greater Hyderabad region has 13 fire stations, one of which is located inside the secretariat. The other 12 fire stations cater to the fast-multiplying needs of the city.

According to norms, there should be at least one fire station for every 50,000 people or 10 sq km. The 13th Finance Commission’s recommendations are in line with the norms. Accordingly, funds were released for first phase, resulting in the construction of six new fire stations.

The works under Phase 1 were scheduled to be completed by May 2012. However, till now only a portion of the Phase 1 works have been completed. The bulk of the works have been hanging fire for the past two years. The works planned under Phases 2 and 3 have not been started due to non-release of funds by the government.

When the budget for the financial year 2012-13 was being prepared by the state government, the Ministry of Home Affairs asked senior officials at the Fire Department to prepare a list of constituencies in the state that do not have fire stations, the number of people required to staff a station, and the yearly budgetary requirements for a fire station.

The officials drew up a list that identified 70 constituencies without a fire station.

The report also says that each fire station requires 12-16 members of staff and an annual budget of Rs 1.50 cr. Of the 70 places mentioned in the city, eight are in Greater Hyderabad limits.

Under the 12th Five-Year Plan, the department has been granted 39 additional centres. The authorities have reportedly sent the list of pending centres along with new ones in the State. Although the Phase 1 works have been completed, the department does not have a building at Kukatpally and its fire tenders have been parked temporarily on the campus of JNTU.

“We have been sending proposal after proposal for the construction of additional fire stations, but what can we do when the government releases GO but not funds,” laments a senior official. The officials are now pinning their hopes on the Millennium plus scheme. Under this scheme, 10% revenues collected in all cities having a population more than 10 lakh would be allotted to the fire department. Officials are expecting funding to the tune of Rs 70 crore in the coming four years to complete the pending stations. As part of the scheme, an amount of Rs 11 crore has been released and Rs 25 crore earmarked in the 2013-14 budget.