Karimnagar district is facing a critical shortage of fire stations, which is putting lives and property at risk during accidents. Currently, there is only one fire vehicle available at the constituency centre, making it difficult to respond to incidents promptly. This has led to increased damages in such situations.
During the last four years, firemen from all 13 centres across the district have saved properties worth Rs 42.4 crore through rescue operations. Establishing more fire stations, increasing vehicles, and appointing more personnel could help in taking immediate relief measures during emergencies.
The government has conducted tests and made postings to allocate personnel to new fire stations, but the completion of training and prompt duty commencement are crucial for addressing the challenges. Proposals for allocating more vehicles and establishing a centre for each of the two mandals are being discussed to reduce the severity of losses.
Karimnagar currently has only one fire vehicle while it requires two. Other areas like Huzurabad, Manakondur, Choppadandi, and Jammikuta each have one vehicle. Urgent allocation of two additional vehicles and staff appointments in Karimnagar is crucial to improve response times during accidents.
In Rajanna Sircilla district, Sircilla and Vemulawada constituencies have one fire station each, but the shortage of staff and functioning vehicles poses challenges in timely responses to fire accidents. Peddapalli district is also facing a shortage of staff, vehicles, and infrastructure, with proposals for additional resources pending.
Karimnagar District Fire Officer Tagaram Venkanna acknowledged the challenges faced by the district. Despite the hurdles, awareness programmes are being conducted five days a week to prevent fire accidents in commercial complexes. Additionally, 61 firemen have been appointed in erstwhile Karimnagar district and will join duty after four months of training.
In light of the upcoming summer season, staff members are not being granted leave unless it is urgent. The fire officer also emphasized the importance of reducing electricity overloading to avoid accidents.
