With Ludhiana’s rapid urban and industrial expansion straining its emergency services, the fire department has urged the Municipal Corporation (MC) to establish four new fire stations and upgrade existing equipment to strengthen fire safety infrastructure. The department has submitted a proposal in this regard to the MC commissioner a few days ago.
Currently, Ludhiana operates six fire stations at Local Bus Stand, Gill Road, Hambran Road, Focal Point, Sunder Nagar, and Tajpur Road. Officials, however, admit these facilities are inadequate to serve the city’s growing population and industrial clusters. Large areas such as Ferozepur Road, Bahadur Ke Road, Rahon Road, and Kanganwal remain underserved, delaying emergency response in high-risk zones.
A senior MC official said four new stations are needed in these locations to ensure timely intervention during fire incidents. “The city has expanded significantly, especially in industrial zones and residential colonies. To ensure prompt response, we have identified four strategic locations for new stations,” the official added.
According to fire department officials, a temporary fire station has been set up at Rahon Road in an abandoned Sewa Kendra building to handle fire emergencies in this area and nearby industrial zones, as it usually takes a long time for fire officials to reach here. However, this move has affected the functioning of the existing fire station at Tajpur Road due to a shortage of staff, especially drivers.
Along with expansion, the fire department has also sought modern machinery and safety gear from the state government to improve operations. The demand includes two water dowsers, two mini fire tenders, six multipurpose fire tenders, two quick response vehicles, 100 fire suits, 200 gumboots, 100 helmets, and 300 hose pipes, among other equipment.
Officials said the department is also working on modernising its response mechanism, training personnel, and enhancing coordination with other emergency services.
“Fire services are central to public safety. With new technology, upgraded gear, and additional stations, we can handle emergencies far more effectively,” the official added.
The state government has recently sanctioned ₹2 crore for upgrading fire services in Ludhiana.
On Wednesday, a 75-year-old bedridden woman, her 18-year-old grandson and their pet dog died of asphyxiation due to smoke when a fire broke out in a hosiery factory-cum-residence near Bharat Nagar Chowk petrol pump in Ludhiana.
