RAWALPINDI: Insufficient fire safety measures in wheat godowns in the district can cause any untoward situation and there is a dire need to improve them.

This was stated in a report prepared by Civil Defence Department which has been submitted to Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema and the district food controller. The report was prepared by the department after inspecting the godowns.

According to the report, the food department’s godownswere at risk in case of any fire incident as many of them do not have any firefighting system or have defective ones.

It stated that a technical team of Civil Defence inspected the food godown at G.T Road Wah and Taxila on July 17. The team checked the existing firefighting equipment and found them out of order.

It recommended that the in-charge of food godown should be provided minimum firefighting equipment to cope with any untoward situation.

When contacted, Civil Defence Officer Talib Hussain said that the technical teams visited wheat godowns on the directives of Punjab government and found the fire safety systems installed in godowns at Tipu Road, Gujar Khan, Taxila and other parts of the district obsolete.

“There is dire need to replace it or install system where it was not installed. We did not check main godowns along Railways Carriage Factory and in Sihala due to jurisdiction issue. These godowns are located in the limits of Islamabad capital territory,” he said.

In the report, the department recommended that an automatic fire detection and alarm system was required to be installed in accordance with the fire prevention principles in all the godownsfor timely approach in case of any fire incidents, he added.

The sufficient quantity of water should also be available at all time for manning the fire hydrant system along with alternate means of power supply in case of electric failures.

He said that the officials and security staff should be trained to deal with any fire incidents, including first aid, rescue and other emergency handling measures.

It may be mentioned that wheatis supplied to twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad and adjoining areas through these godowns. There are also godownsin the area under the administrative control of the federal government to supply wheat to Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2024