Team Herald
PERNEM: With Pernem gearing up to welcome slew of development projects that are likely to trigger an influx of new residents and change the face of coastal taluka, lack of a full-fledged fire station is an oversight that needs to be remedied immediately, say the locals.
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With the upcoming projects such as Mopa Airport, Electronic City at Tuem, AYUSH Hospital at Dhargal, and the sub district hospital currently being constructed at Tuem, it is shocking that the present Fire and Emergency Station, runs out of a rickety administrative building in the heart of Pernem town, remains outdated, short-staffed and cramped for space.
At present, the fire station only has one emergency vehicle, one water-tender, one ambulance and a vehicle for sanitisation.
“It also desperately needs more staff, including a leading fire man and hawaldars.
Due to the lack of space at the premises, there are no separate sections marked out for the office, barracks or kitchen, and the staff manages to use the single space for multiple purposes. The paperwork and official tasks are done in the barracks, where the staff also takes rest during the break time. There is also a kitchen that also accommodates some of the staff during night shifts,” added the locals.
The Pernem Fire Station caters to the whole of Pernem Taluka which consists of two constituencies — Mandrem and Pernem, that include 19 village panchayats and one municipality.
The location of the present fire station, at the centre of the bustling Pernem market poses another issue, as it is difficult for fire service personnel to get through the congested area during the emergencies.
To add to their woes, the building that houses the fire station requires urgent repair as the walls and pillars have developed cracks, and the cement from the ceiling and pillars is crumbling, sources said.
“It’s very unsafe, especially for the staff of Pernem Fire Station, since the condition of the building is such that it may collapse anytime. The staff has done patch work to fix the peeling cement from the pillars, but the building requires complete repair. It is also unsafe for the public, since the same building houses the office of Women and Child Department, and students of a school nearby use the walkway from the fire station to reach the bus stop,” said Prakash Kambli, a Pernem local.
