Do you know 269 persons died in fire mishaps in Krishna district in the last seven years and two months and some hundreds of people suffered burns in the accidents? Besides this, property valued at Rs.55.37 crore was gutted during the period.
While there is no let-up in mishaps in the district every year, the Department of Fire is suffering with shortage of staff, vehicles, and proper equipment, thus making their fire-fighting less efficient and more difficult.
Twenty-six fire tenders are there in 23 fire stations in the district of which one multi-unit station at Vijayawada and double unit (fire tenders) stations at Gudivada and Machilipatnam are functioning. The remaining are single vehicle stations. There is no skylift vehicle (hydraulic platform) to extinguish fire and take up rescue operations in multi-storeyed buildings, if any mishap occurs in high rise buildings in the city or district.Each fire engine needs 4,500 litres of water to attend to a complaint. Officials said there was no water problem in Vijayawada, but the fire personnel face water scarcity in mandals during summer. There are about 650 minor tanks and nearly 100 major tanks in the district, but most of them get dried up as the irrigation officials stop releasing water into canals due to delta modernisation works.
The government has sanctioned 390 posts in the district of which 70 are there in various fire stations. Recently, the Police Recruitment Board issued notification for filling 52 firemen posts.
Speaking to The Hindu , District Fire Officer S. Venkatadri Chowdhary said fire stations would come up at Gollapudi, Bhavanipuram, and Gunadala by 2013. Two more stations would be set up at Benz Circle and Satyanarayanapuram under 13th Finance Commission grants.
“Instructions were given to the firemen in all stations to fill water in the vehicles and keep them ready to meet any eventuality. Admitting that there would be water scarcity in villages during summer, Mr. Chowdary said the fire officers were asked to ready the tenders in advance from the tanks where water was available.
