Duty comes first: No Diwali with family for these selfless workers

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 3

Giving preference to the call of duty over an emotional bonding with families, all 76 staff members of the Fire Department will be celebrating Diwali away from their loved ones tomorrow night.

The firemen say that they had never celebrated Diwali at home for the past many years and they rather felt proud in remaining in the line of duty for these more sensitive days. “Our families do miss us on these days but over the years they have started understanding that they cannot afford to get leave and it is a part of our duty to remain present on duty on Diwali days. We too have started finding happiness in ensuring entire city feels secure with our presence around them”, said the firemen.

Assistant Divisional Fire Officer Jaswant Singh quipped, “It has been 25 years since I am in service that I have never celebrated Diwali at home with family. In these years, I have celebrated Diwali twice but with my course mates during training sessions including one in 2014 in New Delhi and the other in Nagpur in 2018. We know that it is the most important day of our duty and we cannot afford to remain off except for any extreme exigency”.

Sharing his plan for the Diwali night, Jaswant Singh said, “We will be stationing our vehicles all across the city tomorrow evening so that time to reach the destination is saved and there are no traffic issues. Our three small vehicles will be placed near Geeta Mandir, Tikkian wala chowk in Rainak Bazaar and Shri Ram Chowk outside the MC office. Our two vehicles have already been stationed at Attari Bazaar and Rama Mandi, from where the various sections of Cantonment and villages around the Hoshiarpur road will be covered. Besides, we will have our fire extinguishing vehicles placed at 66-feet road, Babrik Chowk (for Basti area) and Surgical Complex.

“For the past nearly a week, we deployed a bigger vehicle at Burlton Park where crackers are being sold. Tomorrow, we will have a vehicle stationed at BMC Chowk, entrance of Focal Point and City Railway Station (to also cater to Guru Gobind Singh Avenue, Pathankot and Lamma Pind Chowk)”. The firemen can also be seen deployed at Mai Hiran Gate and Wadala Chowk in the city for the past few days.

The firemen said they will be coordinating with one another using WhatsApp group and all messages, feedback and realtime situation and emergency call details would be uploaded on it for the movement of designated vehicles to the affected location in the mini possible time.

Cops to remain on toes on Diwali night in city

A day before the Diwali celebrations, the city Police Commissionerate is on its toes to avert any untoward situation. As the city roads are crowded with vehicles, traffic police have also tighten the noose on the offenders. Heavy penalties would be issued to those violating traffic rules.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Law and Order, Jagmohan Singh said hundreds of cops, including senior officials like ADCPs, ACPs and SHOs, would be on roads to keep an eye on offenders.

“Amid tight security, cops will also be present at the Burlton Park Cracker Market to ensure that firecracker dealers leave the spot at the stipulated time. People bursting crackers above the fixed two-hour slot will also be booked. Crackers can be burnt between 8 and 10pm only,” added the DCP.

Similarly, DCP (Traffic) Naresh Dogra said, “The residents are advised to not park their vehicles in the no-parking zones as for the past two days, the vehicles parked in an haphazard manner are troubling commuters. “Hence heavy penalties would be issued to traffic offenders. Traffic police personnel will be present on roads to assist commuters tomorrow,” said Dogra.

Meanwhile, complying with the orders of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), demand for green crackers soared this year. “Residents flocked to the Burlton Park cracker market demanding green crackers. We have both the categories of crackers. However, keeping in mind the impact of crackers on air quality, we also appeal to buyers to purchase eco-friendly crackers,” stated firecracker dealers.

Vaneet Kumar, a resident of Seth Hukum Chand colony, who had come to the market, said, “We had burnt green crackers last year and this Diwali, we have decided to go for only green crackers.”