NEW DELHI: Over 700 jhuggis in outer Delhi’s
Rithala
were gutted on Monday leaving thousands homeless. Though Delhi
Fire
Services rushed a fleet of fire tenders as soon as they received the distress call, the operation could not be carried out effectively.
Senior officers said that fire tenders could not reach the spot quickly as the approach path was narrow resulting in the blaze going out of control. This angered the jhuggi dwellers, who vandalised one of the fire tenders and even injured a fireman.
Keeping such incidents and the capital’s traffic situation in mind, the department has purchased a fleet of smaller, faster and fuel-efficient fire tenders. These new tenders will help firemen reach congested
areas
faster and improve their rate of response. The new tenders will also have cameras installed in them for sending live feeds to the control room.
The proposal to buy these new fire tenders has been approved by Delhi Government and the new fleet is expected to be put in operation by the year-end.
“Most fires grow out of control because of delayed response time. The approach road to a spot should be clear for a fire tender to reach quickly. Secondly, effectiveness of the operation depends on our proximity to the epicentre of a fire. In closed and congested areas, our response time is delayed, which can cause fatalities,” said a senior officer.
Atul Garg, Chief Fire Officer, Delhi Fire Services, said that the new fire tenders will be able to manoeuvre through heavy traffic easily. “Each tender will contain 3,500 litres of water. If that is not enough, then larger fire tenders will be sent. We have already bought 10 tenders and 20 more are on their way. We will have a fleet of 30 small fire tenders by the year-end. They will be distributed strategically at fire stations next to congested localities,” he said.
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