New Delhi [India], June 10 (ANI): As Delhi continues to witness dry conditions and higher temperatures this summer, Chief Fire Officer AK Malik on Wednesday noted that while these conditions typically lead to more fires, the current numbers are notably higher than those recorded last year.
Speaking to ANI, Malik said that despite the department’s efforts to increase manpower, they are struggling to keep the situation under control, and the increase in fatalities has turned the situation into a critical concern.
“Every year during the summer season, we see a rise in fire incidents in North India due to dry conditions and soaring temperatures; while the number of calls has increased this time as well, the figure is significantly higher compared to last year,” said Chief Fire Officer AK Malik.
“However, the death toll is higher this year compared to last year’s figures. This is a dangerous trend. If the number of fatalities is rising, we need to rethink our approach,” Malik added.
He further highlighted that in an effort to curb these losses, the fire department has proposed making smoke detectors mandatory in all homes, noting that such measures “could reduce fire-related deaths by up to 97% in the event of a fire inside a building.”
“Every year, nearly 100 people lose their lives in fire incidents in Delhi. We have also recommended that necessary modifications–or retrofitting–be carried out in existing buildings over the next three years. The proposal is currently under consideration,” he said.
Delhi has been experiencing extreme heat in the summer with temperatures soaring past 40 degree celcious on most days.
Meanwhile, with the heatwave continuing to affect the national capital, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, along with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, on Tuesday reviewed the implementation of the heatwave action plan and the further course of action during a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).
While appreciating the relief measures undertaken so far and the outcomes achieved on the ground, the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister observed that given Delhi’s large population spread across 13 districts, the deployment of only one mobile relief van per district may not be sufficient. They directed departments to focus on scaling up capacity and strengthening the overall response mechanism.
The LG also explicitly highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s direction to focus on long-term urban cooling to create lasting relief solutions for the capital to combat the “Urban Heat Island” effect.
It was also directed that the number of Mobile Relief Vans as well as Cooling Centres be increased as per requirement and be deployed/erected in areas, which had a heavier presence of vendors and labour, homeless, people on the streets for livelihood reasons and in markets with heavy footfall, the release said.
CM Rekha Gupta directed officials to ensure extra caution during employee shift changes at cooling centres so that public service remains uninterrupted. She emphasised that all water pots, coolers, and containers must be refilled immediately so that no citizen finds them empty at any point. (ANI)
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