Infrastructure crisis impacts Hyderabad fire wing in Old City

Fire stations in Hyderabad’s Old City struggle with land shortage, delaying emergency response and exposing public to risk

Hyderabad: Despite the State government’s emphasis on strengthening fire safety measures to prevent loss of life and property during fire mishaps, like the recent one at Gulzar Houz that claimed 17 lives, the Fire department in Old City lacks its own land to establish dedicated fire stations.

As a result, five proposed fire stations in the Old City have been unable to acquire suitable land. This has forced authorities to station vehicles allotted to these stations several kilometers away from their designated jurisdiction, severely impacting response time to emergencies.

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Consider the instance of the Yakutpura fire station. The State government had sanctioned a fire station for Yakutpura long ago and the fire department also allocated a fire tender. However, the State government is yet to allocate a land parcel, forcing authorities to station the vehicle at Osmania General Hospital, Afzalgunj, which is four kilometers away from Yakutpura.

Similarly, a fire station was sanctioned for Amberpet. Due to the unavailability of land, the fire tender allotted to Amberpet is stationed at Niloufer Hospital.

“It takes 30 minutes to travel from Afzalgunj to Yakutpura. When there is traffic, it would take 40 minutes. If a fire breaks out somewhere the, fire engine will reach after everything has been reduced to ashes at the property,” lamented M A Rahman, a local social worker at Tallabkatta.

The challenges facing the Fire department in Old City are not just limited to locating new fire stations.

Three other existing fire stations-Chandulal Baradari, Langer Houz and Chandrayangutta-though located within local jurisdiction, don’t have their own dedicated buildings. The Chandulal Baradari fire station, for instance, operated from land originally allocated for another department while the Chandrayangutta fire station has been temporarily accommodated in the National Academy of Construction building at Phool Bagh, Chandrayangutta.

A fire department official disclosed that the Langer Houz fire station is currently operating from rented premises, and the owners issued a notice requesting them to vacate.

Amjedullah Khan, MBT party spokesperson stated that successive governments and public representatives failed to address the issue despite it being highlighted repeatedly through various forums. “This situation underscores the government’s lack of commitment to address problems pertaining to old city,” Khan alleged.

When contacted T. Venkanna, District Fire Officer, Hyderabad said that the department has informed the government about these challenges and anticipates a resolution soon. “At a recent meeting, we discussed this issue with officers who assured us that it would be taken to the appropriate level for resolution,” he said.