No check on fire-fighting system in P’kula societies

Sanjay Bumbroo
Tribune News Service
Panchkula, May 26

The lives of more than 40,000 people living in 200-odd societies in the city are at stake as the Fire Department failed to check the fire-fighting system in them. The societies are located in Sector 20, MDC, Sector 4, and Sector 25 to 28 across the Ghaggar. Their fire fighting system has not been checked for the past several years.

Sources said most of the societies have installed a fire hydrant system, but these were not functioning. Suncity in Sector 20 is one the few where the fire hydrant system has been maintained.

Yogendra Kwatra, senior vice-president of the Sector 20 Society Residents’ Welfare Association, said the Fire Department had checked the system in 2001-2002. He said several societies were then issued notices by the Fire Department for installing the fire fighting systems. He said since then, the Fire Department had failed to visit any of these societies.

More than 30,000 families were living in 111 societies in Sector 20. Most of the societies neither have underground water storage nor rooftop storage. If a fire breaks in any of these societies, it could wreak havoc.

RK Nirmal of the Officers Society in MDC Swastik Vihar said that societies had been making arrangements for installing the fire hydrants. He said whenever they request the officers of the Fire Department to inspect the same, they fail to do so.

Fire Officer SS Malik said after inspecting the coaching centres, they would soon raid the societies. He said notices would be issued to the societies which had failed to install the hydrant system as per the norms.