HYDERABAD: With a spurt in fire incidents with onset of summer time, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) exposed unpreparedness of the hearth department in Hyderabad and the rest of the state. According to CAG document released on Thursday, towards the requirement of 2,596 fire stations for Telangana, the state has simplest 96 fire stations, a shortfall of 96 according to cent.
"There was no perceptible improvement in setting up new fire stations and provision of infrastructure facilities and equipment in fire stations. As per norms, there should be one fire station for 10 sq km radius for towns and one for 50 sq km radius in rural and open areas. As per this norm, the requirement of fire stations in state would work out to 2,596. Against this, there are only 96 fire stations, a massive shortfall of 96% in the state to cover an area of 1.15 lakh sq km," the document said.
After formation of Telangana, director-general of fireside services periodically submitted proposals to executive for brand spanking new fire stations in the state. However, simplest six new fire stations have been sanctioned by way of the government on this period, CAG document said. Of these, simplest two have been put into operation and ultimate 4 stations were not yet operationalised as of October 2017, it said.
Apart from fire stations, there's a shortfall of fireside tenders as smartly, said CAG. As according to requirement of 1 fire comfortable for each 50,000 inhabitants and one rescue van for three lakh inhabitants with any other rescue van for any other 10 lakh inhabitants in three sampled divisions, simplest 72 fire tenders have been available (77% much less) towards the whole requirement of 312 fire tenders. Only two rescue trucks have been available towards the requirement of 17, it said.
CAG additionally castigated the hearth department for the time taken to reply to fire calls. "SFAC has beneficial a maximum reaction time of 5 minutes for city spaces and 20 minutes for rural spaces. But in the sample survey by way of reviewing 62 main and severe fire incidents 117 in city spaces, the reaction time is 19 (31%) for incidents inside of prescribed norms (beneath five minutes). And in ultimate 43 circumstances, reaction time ranged between 6 and 93 minutes (Mahabubnagar).
In rural spaces, in 73 fire incidents reviewed by way of the audit, the reaction time used to be inside of prescribed norms (beneath 20 minutes) in 29 (40%) incidents. In ultimate 44 circumstances, the reaction time ranged from 21 minutes to 158 minutes," the CAG said. It additionally said old cars are also causing extend in reaching the spots.
Pointing to other shortcomings, CAG said as many as 35 of general 96 fire stations in state do not have any water assets in premises akin to borewells and electrical motors. CAG document said many norms beneficial by way of the State Fire Advisory Council (SFAC) were not being adopted by way of the state executive and state crisis reaction and fire services department. The document said 21 fire stations have been drawing water from canals, irrigation channels positioned as much as 8 km clear of the hearth stations.
"There was no perceptible improvement in setting up new fire stations and provision of infrastructure facilities and equipment in fire stations. As per norms, there should be one fire station for 10 sq km radius for towns and one for 50 sq km radius in rural and open areas. As per this norm, the requirement of fire stations in state would work out to 2,596. Against this, there are only 96 fire stations, a massive shortfall of 96% in the state to cover an area of 1.15 lakh sq km," the document said.
After formation of Telangana, director-general of fireside services periodically submitted proposals to executive for brand spanking new fire stations in the state. However, simplest six new fire stations have been sanctioned by way of the government on this period, CAG document said. Of these, simplest two have been put into operation and ultimate 4 stations were not yet operationalised as of October 2017, it said.
Apart from fire stations, there's a shortfall of fireside tenders as smartly, said CAG. As according to requirement of 1 fire comfortable for each 50,000 inhabitants and one rescue van for three lakh inhabitants with any other rescue van for any other 10 lakh inhabitants in three sampled divisions, simplest 72 fire tenders have been available (77% much less) towards the whole requirement of 312 fire tenders. Only two rescue trucks have been available towards the requirement of 17, it said.
CAG additionally castigated the hearth department for the time taken to reply to fire calls. "SFAC has beneficial a maximum reaction time of 5 minutes for city spaces and 20 minutes for rural spaces. But in the sample survey by way of reviewing 62 main and severe fire incidents 117 in city spaces, the reaction time is 19 (31%) for incidents inside of prescribed norms (beneath five minutes). And in ultimate 43 circumstances, reaction time ranged between 6 and 93 minutes (Mahabubnagar).
In rural spaces, in 73 fire incidents reviewed by way of the audit, the reaction time used to be inside of prescribed norms (beneath 20 minutes) in 29 (40%) incidents. In ultimate 44 circumstances, the reaction time ranged from 21 minutes to 158 minutes," the CAG said. It additionally said old cars are also causing extend in reaching the spots.
Pointing to other shortcomings, CAG said as many as 35 of general 96 fire stations in state do not have any water assets in premises akin to borewells and electrical motors. CAG document said many norms beneficial by way of the State Fire Advisory Council (SFAC) were not being adopted by way of the state executive and state crisis reaction and fire services department. The document said 21 fire stations have been drawing water from canals, irrigation channels positioned as much as 8 km clear of the hearth stations.
CAG quake: Crumbling infrastructure to douse infernos
![CAG quake: Crumbling infrastructure to douse infernos]()
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March 31, 2018
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