Fire station may have been a most required a unit during summers, but State administration failed to reconstruct the one washed away along with some vehicles in devastating flood in Uttarkashi district last year, even nine months after the destruction. Police, however, claimed that it would reconstruct the fire station during next two months.
Police would spend around Rs 5 crore in the project. Around Rs 3.67 crore would be spent in bringing the fire station back on its feet followed by Rs 1.33 crore in purchasing the equipments and vehicles required for the fire station. The fund for the purpose has already been released following a comprehensive project by the police.
Released in the month of March under special plan assistance (SPA), the fund has been put into personal ledger account (PlA) of the police department. A complete project related construction of the building of the fire station and equipments required for its effective functioning has been drawn for the complete utilization of the fund by the end of June.
Assistant Inspector general of police Satish Kumar Shukla said, “Project is ready. Process for utilization of the fund is already on. The complete fund would be utilized during next two months. Hopefully, the fire station would be back on its place.” He also said that equipments and vehicles would also be purchased for the fire station. He further added that the rain devastated the fire station completely and some of the vehicles were also washed away. After estimation of the loss, a proposal for required fund was sent to the department concerned. The fund was released in the later part of the last month. The construction work would be started within next fortnight.
He also added that he was well aware with the requirement of the fire station during summers. On his part, he was taking serious efforts so that the fire station could be reconstructed at the earliest. Shukla claimed that he would ensure that quality be ensured in reconstruction of the building and quality equipments be made available to the fire station for its effective functioning. .
It may be mentioned here that Uttarkashi is without a fire station for the last nine months. In case of any fire incident, the area may have to suffer heavy loss in absence of the fire station. likeliness of fire incidents increases during summers. But interestingly, fire station would be ready by the end of summers that is June.