The Times of India        06.01.2011

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.