Fire service budget

New Delhi: The budgetary allocation for Delhi Fire Service has been increased by over 27% — from Rs 530 crore in 2025-26 to Rs 674 crore in 2026-27.

In her budget speech, chief minister Rekha Gupta noted that Delhi has recorded numerous blazes in recent years, many of which have devastated entire families. Controlling fires in the city’s narrow lanes, single-entry households, congested shanties and unauthorised colonies is extremely difficult, she said.

To make Delhi a safer city, she emphasised the need to upgrade the department’s infrastructure and equipment. “In 2025-26, sincere efforts were made in this direction, with the addition of 24 quick response vehicles (QRVs) and modern machinery,” she said.

Tuesday’s budget proposes to set up new fire stations, deploy 26 additional QRVs, modernise machinery and buy state-of-the-art equipment. The department plans to procure turntable ladders and Bronto Skylift platforms to enhance its firefighting capabilities, particularly in high-rise and hard-to-reach areas.

An amount of Rs 50 crore has been allocated for the construction of new fire stations, a senior fire service officer said. Currently, Delhi has 71 stations. As part of this initiative, a formal proposal for the construction of eight fire stations and a new building at the Delhi Fire Service headquarters has already been submitted to Delhi govt for its approval.

The officer also emphasised the importance of quick response vehicles in battling blazes in congested areas. “Our fire-fighting approach in the city’s narrow lanes will improve, and the response times will be significantly better,” he said.

Each vehicle is equipped with a 100-litre water tank, a 25-litre foam water tank with high-pressure pumps, and carries three to four firefighters for initial operations.

Delhi Fire Service responded to a total of 18,670 fire calls last year; 76 people lost their lives and 565 were injured in these blazes. Between Jan 1 and March 15 this year, it handled 2,716 cases, which claimed the lives of 13 people and resulted in 111 injuries.