CM promises more facilities to fire stations

KOCHI: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Wednesday said the Gandhi Nagar fire station and Thrikkakara fire station in Kochi will be provided with state-of-art facilities. He was responding to a submission made by Ernakulam MLA Hibi Eden in the Assembly on the lack of facilities in the fire stations in Kochi. The MLA pointed out that Kochi lacks a fire station with most modern equipments.  Hibi Eden also pointed out there had been instances in the city where some of hotels and textile shops caught fire. “ In such cases, the crew could not operate from the the top of such huge buildings,” he said. Stating that the Government was aware of the dangerous situation in Kochi, Oommen Chandy said that there are four fire stations working in the strategic points of Kochi. The Government has also taken note of the fact the amenities provided are not sufficient. To resolve this issue, Chief Minister said that most modern equipments which will be purchased this year, with funds included under Plan fund, disaster relief fund etc will be provided to these four stations.  He said the Gandhi Nagar Fire Station will  be provided with a skylift. As the activities of Info Park and Smart City gain momentum, the problem of staff shortage in the Thrikkakara Fire Station will also be addressed.Hibi Eden also pointed out there are no proper facilities for disaster management in Vathuruthi in Wellington Island.