Fire station demand in Secunderabad Cantonment hanging fire for long

SECUNDERABAD: For over a decade, the demand for a dedicated fire station in Secunderabad Cantonment limits on the lines of neighbouring GHMC has been hanging fire. Residents have been sounding out the alarm as SCB houses several commercial units, but depends solely on fire stations in GHMC areas.
“SCB areas have nearly 10,000 business units and also small-scale industries in Rasoolpura.Though we do not have high-rises like in GHMC, in case of any fire, we have to depend on TS fire service department,” said B Subhash from Bowenpally.

Recollecting a fire in the accounts wing of SCB main office in 2017, a retired BHEL employee said, “It gutted records and furniture. They had to depend on the fire station in Secunderabad. Not having a fire station in SCB limits is unacceptable.”
According to Telangana State Disaster Response & Fire Services Department’s records, there are 17 fire stations in twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad but none between SCB and Shamirpet (up to Hakimpet).
“The SCB-Shamirpet stretch is a very busy one with hundreds of vehicles moving at any given time. A fire could be disastrous here as there is no fire station nearby,” K Madhusudhana Rao, district fire officer, Secunderabad, told TOI.
But if all goes well, the SCB may yet get its own fire station in the not-so-distant future.
Secunderabad Cantonment Board officials had agreed to build a fire station after a request from TS fire department but it got mired in delays over land allotment and funds. A few months ago the work finally began at Teachers’ Colony, Rao said, adding that in another six months a fire station would come up in SCB.