The Times of India 06.01.2011
PCMC prepares draft fire plan to deal with increasing population
PUNE: The draft fire hazard response and mitigation plan being prepared by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation
(PCMC) will focus on some salient features. Among which, prominent are:
setting up a well-equipped central fire office on at least five acre
land, starting 11 more fire stations and three fire sub-offices on
urgent basis, filling up the vacant posts and creating new posts to meet
challenges arising due to increasing population.
Additional
commissioner Prakash Kadam said, “The preparation of the draft plan is
in the final stages and is expected to be completed in a fortnight.”
This plan is being prepared as per the provisions of the Fire Prevention and Life Safety Act,
2006. Kadam said, “CRISIL is preparing the plan for the PCMC. The plan
will serve as a manual for employees in the civic fire department and
will comprise an action plan to deal with fire incidents.”
It
contains details of identified fire hazards, staff pattern of fire
department, machinery required for fire fighting, number of fire engines
required and duties of fire officers.
It has recommendations
that atleast three new sub-offices should be set up on one acre land
each, at Dapodi, Chikhli and KSB chowk. It has also recommended setting
up of an independent vehicle workshop needed to service fire engines and
other vehicles of the fire department. Another recommendation is to set
up a fire prevention cell.
The plan has details of the
sanctioned posts, filled posts and vacant posts of the fire department.
It has recommended that vacant posts be filled so that the requisite
manpower for three new sub-offices will be available.
“The
draft plan will be sent to the civic committees and general body for
approval. It has to be forwarded to the state government by the end of
February for approval. The state government is expected to approve it in
a month after which it will be implemented from the next financial
year,” said Kadam.
The central fire office of the PCMC
at Sant Tukaramnagar in Pimpri is in a congested area. The PCMC is
scouting for suitable land for setting up a well-equipped central fire
office. Efforts are on to obtain land from the Maharashtra Industries
Development Corporation (MIDC) at Gawlimatha near Bhosari.
“I
discussed the matter with Nilesh Gatane, regional officer, MIDC. Hee
told me that the MIDC had earlier handed over six plots of land to the
PCMC for various developmental projects and one of these can be used for
the fire office. Fire department officials have inspected one of these
sites,” Kadam stated.
The PCMC was formed in 1982 with a
population of 1.49 lakh which at present is estimated to be around 15
lakh. This rise has been mainly due to migration of people in search of
jobs in the industrial belt of Pimpri-Chinchwad. The growing
urbanisation has increased the challenges before the fire brigade.
At present, the PCMC fire brigade has one central office and three
sub-stations. The central office is located at Pimpri while the
sub-stations are located at Rahatni, Bhosari and Pradhikaran.
