Fire force blames Kerala State Electricity Board for delay in office launch

Kochi: The construction of a new multi-storied building for functioning of the Eloor Fire Force wing was completed over a month ago but apathy from the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has not only delayed its inauguration but resulted in unwanted additional expenditure. The foundation stone for the Rs 3 crore building at Eloor Pathalam Junction was laid by former Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on February 4, 2016t and the contractor completed its construction over a month back. However, KSEB started the wiring job only after completion of painting works.

"This meant the walls have to be bored again for facilitating the wiring work which will incur additional expenditure. Normally, wiring is done at the time of plastering. The lapse has resulted in additional expense of over a lakh," sources said. The KSEB officials reason that a delay in completing the tendering process of the Rs 10 lakh wiring work has resulted in the situation. Currently the Eloor Fire Force wing is functioning out of a hall of an old building at Anavathil Junction along the container Road with no facilities to store fire-fighting equipment.

The station, located in the industrial hub of Kochi, had received over 225 distress calls last year alone. However, it has no equipment to fight chemical explosions and only two fire engines, one of which is over 15 years old. The new building with 10, 500 sqft floor area has one-lakh litre storage capacity tank, six rooms and space to park six fire engines among others. The officials are also in the hope of receiving modern equipments once they start functioning out of the new building.