Fire Dept overburdened

Ashok Kaura

Phagwara , April 21

No event was observed in Phagwara to mark the Fire Service Week which is observed throughout the country from April 14 to April 20. The fire officials were busy delivering services and observing the week in its true essence.

As many as 43 incidents of fire were reported to the Phagwara fire brigade during this week. An employee of the fire brigade said employees of Fire Brigade Services remained busy in controlling fire incidents at various villages and thus, no function could take place during the week.

Fire services are not sufficient in the area. Most of the towns in the Doaba region lack fire services even when numerous fire incidents take place in wheat fields during the harvesting season.

It has been learnt that the municipal committees of Nawanshahr, Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala have a total of six fire tenders: two in Hoshiarpur, three in Nawanshahr and two in Kapurthala, besides four fire tenders with the Phagwara Municipal Corporation.

The municipal committees of 26 towns, including Phillaur, Goraya, Banga, Talwara, Mukerian, Dasuya, Tanda, Garrdhiwala, Haryana, Bhogpur, Mahilpur, Sham Chaurasi, Garh-Shankar, Balachaur, Rahon, Nakodar, Noormahal, Sultanpur Lodhi, Dhilwan, Bholath, Begowal, Alawalpur, Adampur, Lohian and Shahkot are still deprived of the fire brigade service.

Kanti Mohan Singh, a trader from Phillaur, says businessmen and shopkeepers live in fear during festival and crop seasons. A farmer, Ajmer Singh from Apra said wheat and paddy crops were being harvested amid apprehensions and fears, as crops in several fields get destroyed in fire incidents.

Fire tenders are not available with the Phillaur Municipal Committee. Towns of the region are completely dependent on big cities like Jalandhar and Ludhiana for fire-fighting services.

Employees of the Phagwara Municipal Corporation said the local fire brigade had four fire tenders of a capacity of 4,500 litres and 2,500 litres, but the shortage of firemen and drivers in the fire brigade was creating problems. Moreover, one fire tender is three decades old while the other was bought 12 years back. The fire brigade in Phagwara have no permanant firemen for the 24 sanctioned posts. There are three drivers in place of five. Although 18 employees were engaged on contractual basis, but six of them are deployed by MC officials for their personal works.

The contractual employees are demanding regularisation of their services. They stressed upon the need for two more fire tenders, as presently these two fire-tenders were proving to be inadequate because the Phagwara fire brigade was feeding several small towns and villages. More than 150 fire incidents have been reported in the present financial year so far, they added. MC officials said a total of 135 employees are required for providing adequate service.

Fire Service Week

• As fire officials were busy delivering services, no event could be marked during the Fire Service Week (April 14 to April 20) this year.  Fortythree fire incidents were reported to the Phagwara Fire Brigade during this time.
• Most of the towns in the Doaba region lack fire facilities and are completely dependent on cities like Jalandhar and Ludhiana for fire-fighting services. Municipal committees of Nawanshahr, Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala have only six fire tenders in total.
• The fire brigade in Phagwara has no permanant firemen against the 24 sanctioned posts.MC officials said 135 employees were required for providing adequate service.