With a jurisdiction from Majorda to Loutolim and from Karmal ghat to Nuvem the Margao Fire & Emergency Services Department office has been working with many worries.
The Margao Fire department has been troubled by various problems like having no place or resources to eat, no in-time labourers’ provision for rescue work and lack of staff compared to the jurisdiction they handle. The Margao Fire Station has a huge jurisdiction which includes Majorda, Nuvem, Colva, Chandor, Margao, Loutolim, Cuncolim, Balli, Karmal Ghat and villages of total of six constituencies. Even after having a big jurisdiction the Margao Fire Station is expected and is called over to attend emergencies all over South Goa and even in parts of Panjim and Ponda. The tight ropewalk of the Margao Fire Station can be seen in the monsoons. The Margao Municipal Council, every year, delays providing labourers to the Fire station forcing the staff to do the work of labourers of picking and clearing debris, etc. The Station which handles a thickly populated taluka like Salcete needs the extra working hands all the time, sources told Herald.
Presently the Margao Fire Station has a fleet of five vehicles of which three are fire tenders. However, compared to the amount of operation the staff of 35 is too little and too less for the station. The 35 staff includes office staff, clerks and also the staff for the office of the Deputy Director. The station has been doing rescue jobs with 30 to 31 staff.
The Fire officer, Gil Souza, said: “The Margao fire station has enough staff for the prescribed number of calls per day. However, a pinch is felt when there are many calls in a single day, especially in the Monsoons. This year the MMC too delayed in providing labourers for the rescue work forcing our staff to do the work of clearing debris and heavy lifting,” said Gil. “Salcete taluka is right on to the coastal zone and hence gusty winds during monsoons and trees falling down all over, is a common phenomenon. We get around hundred calls sometimes on a single day. Even after deploying all 5 fire tenders at a time the rescue work doesn’t happen effectively. But the staff plans the rescue operations well and attends all calls,” Gil added.
On one hand the number of fire personnel is less and on the other hand there is no facility of a canteen or provision for food in the huge fire station. This lack of facility forces the staff on 24-hour duty to sometime go in search of food as they cannot fast for too long, said a source.
Sources have informed that the Staff of the Fire Station has contributed money and have bought an Induction Cooktop and articles for preparing food. However, when all the staff arrives there is no place for everyone to even rest in this premises. There are 10 beds which are occupied by the staff at the station making the labourers provided by MMC sleep on floor.
Sources also informed that the room, where the staff cook, has begun leaking now forcing them to shift places.
