NAWABSHAH, May 4: Due to lack of inadequate facilities, the city’s fire brigade station is unable to provide the services is should.

This correspondent visited the fire brigade station on the hospital road on the International Fire fighters’ day and found that the condition of station as well as fighters themselves was quite pathetic.

There was no proper office of the fire brigade station covering large areas, including Nawabshah, Sanghar, Matiari and Naushahro Feroze districts and the staff was sitting in a hall with no furniture.

There is a 26-member staff, including a fire officer, one assistant fire officer, 18 firemen and six drivers but reportedly most of the firemen and drivers were performing their duties at other places.

There were two heavy and two light fire brigade vehicles

at the station. One out of two major vehicles costing over Rs14 million was out of order for months.

The two small fire brigade vehicles provided by the Sindh government a few months back were not well equipped and had a small capacity of carrying water.

No uniform was provided to the fire fighters for the last three years and they were forced to perform emergency duties in their normal clothes without fire fighting equipment.

An employee of fire station on request of anonymity told Dawn that the new fire brigades vehicles were useless as their tanks were small and could not carry enough water for extinguishing fire.

He said that they had requested the officers many times for repair of the vehicle and provision of necessary facilities but in vain. He said that the roof under which they were present was repaired on the directives of taluka nazim when it was nearing collapse. He said that it was very difficult for them to work with one vehicle and one driver at a shift.

He informed that they had no equipment for their safety and they were also not provided with uniforms and shoes necessary for their job. He said that he had met many accidents while performing his duty and extinguishing fire and it was only a miracle that he was safe.

Another employee said that there was only one driver present at the station at each shift and it was impossible for more than one vehicle to move in case of any emergency.

He also said that foam, instead of water, could make their job safe and easier but they had never been provided foam due to shortage of funds.

Mobile phone numbers of Taluka Nazim Abdul Rauf, Taluka Naib Nazim Khan Bahadur Bhatti and Taluka Municipal Officer Nawaz Ali Domki remained switched off due to which their version could not be ascertained.

HEAT: Residents of Nawabshah experienced the current season’s hottest day on Sunday when the temperature shot up to 48 degrees Celsius.

The hot weather affected the trade and commercial activities. The shopping centres and markets wore a deserted look, as the weather forced the people to remain indoor.

The heat wave has gripped the city and its adjoining areas for the last one week which is expected to continue for another few days.

Prices of ice have increased and sale of cold drinks has also registered a rise because of the hot weather.

Meanwhile, gastroenteritis has gripped Nawabshah as more than 50 cases were reported in various hospitals on Sunday.

Those reported in emergency unit of the Nawabshah Medical College Hospital included Haji Abdul Waheed, Mrs Imtiaz, Mohammed Yousuf, Fazal Mohammed, Mst. Pohri, Badruddin.

At least 35 cases were only reported in the children ward of the hospital.