New Delhi: In a push to strengthen the city’s firefighting infrastructure and cut emergency response time, Delhi Fire Service (DFS) has secured land to set up 29 new fire stations and a training centre across the capital.While the expansion would take the number of fire stations from 71 to 100, Delhi will still be 21 short of the estimated requirement of 121 fire stations, needed to ensure effective firefighting coverage across the city.For long, there have been concerns over gaps in Delhi’s firefighting infrastructure, particularly in densely populated colonies, industrial areas and rapidly developing neighbourhoods. According to Master Plan norms, the city requires at least 121 fire stations to achieve a response time of five minutes. The existing network of 71 stations falls considerably short of this requirement.Of the 29 locations for the new fire stations, seven plots – in Rohini Sector 41, Geeta Colony, Anand Parbat, Yamuna Vihar, Dwarka sectors 38 and 20, and Narela Industrial Area — have been allotted to DFS for which PWD has already undertaken preparation of construction estimates.Nine plots have been made available by the revenue department at Ghalibpur, Jhatikra, Badusarai, Dhansa, Ghumanhera, Mundhela Kalan, Nizampur and Mungeshpur — locations that have long been underserved areas on the capital’s periphery and where expanding residential settlements and development have created a need for better services.DFS has also sought layout plans identifying land reserved for 14 fire stations under the zonal plans of Master Plan for Delhi 2021. The locations include Burari, Fatehpur Jat, Karala, Inderlok, Mundka Industrial Area, Sonia Vihar, Karawal Nagar Industrial Area, Kapashera, Meethapur-Jaitpur, Chhatarpur, Aya Nagar-Ghitorni, Mandoli Industrial Area and Jharoda, among others. For the training centre, land has been allotted at Budhanpur Majra.“We are expediting identification and transfer of land for the remaining 27 stations so that the network could be expanded to 121 at the earliest. DFS is prioritising high-risk, densely populated and rapidly developing areas so that we are better prepared in terms of infrastructure for fighting fire. The focus is to review emergency response times, particularly in congested residential colonies, industrial clusters and areas with highrises,” said an official.DFS is pursuing land allotment with DDA at nine more locations — Rohini sectors 11, 27, 35 and 36, Sultanpuri, Mahipalpur, Pitampura, Sarai Rohilla and Golden Park on Rohtak Road. “Joint site inspections have been proposed to finalise suitable plots,” said an official.
