Hyderabad: Yakutpura has been waiting for a fire station for two years now. A fire station, which would only have been a third for the Old City, was promised and sanctioned over two years ago, but a delay in allotment of government land identified by the fire department, makes the resident’s quest for respite much like the wait for Godot.
It put immense pressure on the two fire stations — the ones at Moghalpura and at Chandulal Baradari — to have to cover the entire Old City, because the Salarjung Museum and the HC fire stations are dedicated for the respective building only.
The state government had sanctioned 18 new fire stations at various places in November 2017, including two in the Old City, and sanctioned Rs 28.49 crore for them.
Sources said that disaster response and fire service department has established all sanctioned fire stations except the two allocated to Hyderabad, the Secunderabad-Cantonment and Yakutpura. The Secunderabad-Cantonment fire station was inaugurated on July 12, and is running from the Snorkel fire station.
The government did not provide lands for both the sanctioned fire stations — the Secunderabad-Cantonment and Yakutpura — in Hyderabad. Though vehicles and fire extinguishing equipment have been sanctioned for the Yakutpura fire station, it could not get started because the department did not care.
A reply to an RTI filed by Mr Karim Ansari, disclosed that a suitable vacant place had been identified at Masqati playground and a building at Bharathnagar, Rein Bazaar, for temporarily accommodating vehicles and staff for the opening of new fire station at Yakupura, because the government land allotment is under process.
Sources said that district fire officer has identified the Masqati ground and community hall for the proposed fire station and submitted a request to the Hyderabad collector. No action has been taken in this regard yet. The sanctioned vehicle and equipment are lying in the open at the Malakpet fire station.
In Hyderabad and the adjacent Ranga Reddy district, only 21 fire stations are functioning for a population of over one crore people.
