The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Fire-fighting norms observed more in breach

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Monday, May 05, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Fire-fighting norms observed more in breach

Staff Reporter

Rajahmundry: After major fire accident at Guntur chilli yard and another fire accident at Krain Energy in Kakinada on Saturday, the question of fire norms and safety measures again came for discussion. High-rise buildings, multiplex, hi-tech buildings, multi-floor apartments, schools and colleges in congested places, agriculture market yards and warehousing corporations are coming under scanner for fire safety measures.

According to National Fire Protection Agency standards, every commercial complex or place should have static water tank with a capacity of 5 lakh litres of water. Hydrant system (pipeline) with pump house, hose boxes should be available in the place like market yards, apartments. State general secretary of AP Fire and Emergency Services Officer’s Association M. Sri Hari Jagannath said that First Aid and fire-fighting equipment was more important in any building like extinguishers, sand and minimum water facility, which is not maintained in most of the places. As per guidelines, agriculture market yards should follow stocking guidelines and they should not stock the material more than 6 meters height. Gang ways, aisles and passage ways are also important for maintaining stocks, which are not maintained during the fire at Guntur chilli yard.

Explaining fire-fighting norms and situation in his department he said that according to Government of India’s Standing Fire Advisory Committee norms there should be one fire station for every 50,000 people. As per that norm, our state should have at least 1600 fire stations, but as of now there are only 252 fire stations in the State. There are 40 Assembly constituencies, where there are no fire stations. However, 252 is the highest number in entire country. When it comes to fire fighting equipment and vehicles, the condition is worse and vehicles are almost 15 to 20 years old. Almost every fire station is spending Rs.1 to Rs.2 lakh on repairs for these vehicles per annum and some of the vehicles are not reaching the spot in time as the vehicles are getting repair in mean time. Fuel is the second major disadvantage for maintaining these vehicles. Almost every fire station is having huge debts on fuel as the State Government is not releasing funds to the department.

The State Government has to release Rs.12 crores of Fire and Emergency Services Budget for the year 2006-07 and almost the same amount for 2007-08, which was not yet released. So the department has failed to purchase equipment like hoses, new vehicles, diesel and go for procuring new equipment. The disaster management fund of 15 per cent (about Rs.17 crores) which has to come from Union Government was also not released.

Apart from these hardships, the department is facing another major problem of recruitments. About 4400 employees are working in the State out of which 1400 vacancies are there and the average age of the working employees is 45. As there is no young blood the fire fighting personnel at field level are facing acute shortage.

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