Delhi is a sitting duck for fire disasters with schools, markets, cinema halls, high-rise buildings and even hospitals running without the mandatory fire-safety apparatus in place. Comptroller of Auditor General (CAG) of India has found gross anomalies in the functioning of Delhi Fire Service (DFS). In the draft report, CAG said that the DFS is ill-equipped to deal to with fire emergencies as it has only six rescue vehicles and one solitary ambulance against the required 19 rescue vehicles.
“Out of the six skylifts with the DFS, four are out of order. Similarly, all six turntable ladders were found non-functional during inspection. The two super snorkels with the DFS are just a sitting duck as both are lying defunct,” the draft report said.
Besides, Shortage of foam compound ranging between 80 and 360 litres and breathing apparatus also found old or in short supply. No first aid kits found in any vehicles.
The CAG has sought comment from the Delhi Government on the performance audit.
The draft report said that in the city having over 300 feet tall buildings, the DFS has just one skylift to reach 200 feet tall structures. Of the six skylifts four skylifts were reportedly out of order.
The CAG said that only 205 mobile radio sets were available for 299 fire fighting vehicles. It said, “Out of five repeater sets only two were functional. Equipments were old and not giving required performance…GIS/ GPS was yet to be installed in fire vehicles.”
It further said that 17 fire stations reportedly have no borewells, in nine stations the wells are non-functional and 17 others are operating without underground water tanks in the national Capital. Of the 205 pumping units required to tackle fire incidents for a population of 167.88 lakh, only 160 such units are available and out of these as many as 31 are out of order.
The audit carried out for a period of five years since 2010 said that the DFS was not adequately equipped for fire fighting. It said that neither regular inspections of the fire stations were carried out nor any group had been appointed to recommend ways and means for improving the fire service.
According to Standing Fire Advisory Council (SFAC), the first fire engine should reach the place of incident within five minutes. In fact, SFAC suggested that all high-rise hazards and closely built up areas response time of a maximum of three minutes should be aimed and for all other areas the response time should not exceed five minutes. Test check of records revealed that in fire incidents within a range of up to one kilometre, response time of the DFS was reportedly up to nine minutes and in other cases it ranged between five and 35 minutes. The response time of the DFS was within 5 minutes in only 42 per cent fire incidents.
The CAG in its reports 2001, 2004 and 2010 had pointed out shortage of staff in DFS. In the current draft report, it has again pointed out 42.37 per cent overall shortage of staff. Besides except training for fresh sub-officers and fire operators, DFS did not conduct any refresher course, electrical, chemical or specialised training for existing staff.
The CAG said that the DFS had not maintained any database of high-rise buildings which were required to obtain fire safety certificates. It said that the DFS had also not prepared any database on certain categories of building owners who were required to appoint Fire Safety Officers. Though the non-compliance of the provision for appointing FSO attracts penalty, the DFS neither issued any notice nor imposed any penalty against any owner from 2010 to 2015.
The audit revealed the despite having its auto workshop, the DFS had incurred an expenditure of Rs 17.02 crore on repair and maintenance of its vehicles in private workshops. In 31 cases of repairs of above Rs 10 lakh and above involving an expenditure of Rs 5.98 crore, no bids were reportedly called for by the DFS. About 11,600 metres of cloth procured on a payment of Rs 14.04 lakh in April 2014 was found lying unstitched till September 2015.