PORVORIM: The satellite town of Porvorim has developed at rapid pace in recent years. With hectic construction activities all round, the whole plateau has undergone a great change, with large residential, shopping and other commercial complexes, hospitals and hotels springing up. It also houses the Assembly complex, Directorate of Education, District Institute of Technical Education, Directorate of Technical Education, office of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education and many other government departments. Many leading banks and automobile companies have also opened their branches/showrooms. In fact, Porvorim functions as the defacto capital of Goa.
In the event of a fire, the residents of Porvorim and surrounding areas depend on the Pilerne fire station, which has limited infrastructure. Additionally, it takes considerable time for a fire tender to reach the accident site.
In April 2014, fire broke out near the Assembly complex. With no fire-fighting measures in place at the complex, fire tenders were called from Pillerne and Panjim fire stations. It took nearly two hours for four fire tenders to extinguish the fire. Recently, a car that was parked in Oval Park colony caught fire. The fire tender dispatched from Pillerne fire station took almost 20 minutes to reach the spot, by which time the car was destroyed.
Successive governments have failed to establish a fire brigade at Porvorim, leaving residents prone to fire mishaps. A petrol pump located on the National Highway 17 is a potential accident site. A large number of godowns across the town, compounding the risk of triggering fire at otherwise safer places.
Managing Director of Goa Housing Board (GHB), N P Signapurker, stated that GHB has already handed over land at the old market near Goa Cricket Academy to the government for setting up a fire station.
Sources from the Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) stated that in a meeting in August, Chief Secretary R K Srivastava had directed the General Administration Department to allot to DEFS space of 2,500 sq mts in the building to be constructed on the GHB land. The file is presently pending before the finance department.
Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte stated that Porvorim is in need of a fire station to adequately serve the city growing population and boundaries. He said, “It is the need of the hour. The government has agreed to set up a fire station at Porvorim. Land has been indentified for this purpose and the GHB has already handed over the same to the government. The government needs to act fast in the matter and start fire service at Porvorim at the earliest.”
