TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Goa Governor B V Wanchoo has called for a scientifically evolved and highly effective disaster management mechanisms and policy, which he said was important because people are in contact with highly inflammable materials all the time.
“We need to be acutely aware of the fact that social and economic development will only increase our vulnerability to fire and other risks. Today perhaps as never before we are exposed to live in the midst of highly inflammable materials like LPG, petrol, diesel, kerosene, wood, cloth, paper etc,” Wanchoo said while speaking at the Fire Services Day in Panjim Monday.
Rapid urbanization and increased population pressure and concentration coupled with increasing substandard living conditions have enormously increased fire risks,” he said.
Earlier in his speech, he explained how fire has traditionally been worshipped since time immemorial. “Fire has been worshipped and venerated and treated with utmost reverence, which only exhibits the worth, value and relevance of fire in human life and existence… Man is perhaps the only creature that dares to light a fire and live with it. The reason for this is that he alone has learnt to put it out,” he contended.
During 2013-14 as many as 510 teachers were imparted training in fire safety. In addition, a total of 2692 persons by private and government agencies were given training. The department also conducted fire safety and evacuation drills in 14 schools during the past year and 8,058 students were trained and made to go through the drills.
Also during 2013-14, Fire services personnel they attended as many as 5,749 fire and emergency calls where 161 human lives and 247 animal lives were saved. Property worth 81.44 crore was also saved by the fire services.
The governor also lauded the efforts of the Goa fire department in the Canacona building tragedy where the department exhibited “professional and technical skills and efficiency in that operation.”
