5 days ago
No hydrants in Thiruvananthapuram city: Fire dept's alarming RTI reply
Thiruvananthapuram: A Right to Information (RTI) query filed by a city resident has revealed alarming lapses in Thiruvananthapuram city's fire safety infrastructure. In a written reply dated July 19, the fire and rescue services said that no fire hydrants have been installed anywhere in the city, and therefore, none are operational.
More surprisingly, when asked who is responsible for maintaining fire hydrants, the department passed the buck to the Kerala Water Authority (KWA), stating that installation and upkeep do not fall under its purview.
However, it turns out that many residential apartments in the city do have fire hydrants installed, as the city corporation mandates their presence before issuing a No Objection Certificate. In fact, fire officials themselves are often involved in inspecting these installations as part of the NOC process.
The fact that the department's RTI response claimed there were no hydrants at all points to either a complete lack of internal coordination or a disturbingly casual approach to critical public safety infrastructure.
However, there are no fire hydrants in public places, with the single exception of the one near the Secretariat.
"Their reply shows a complete disconnect and apathy from those responsible for our safety," said KS Hemaraj, a resident of Kaimanam, who filed the RTI query.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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He had asked nine questions about hydrants in the city—including their number, locations, functionality, maintenance and any future plans—but received vague or inadequate responses.
A senior Fire and Rescue Services officer, speaking anonymously, admitted the issue was serious. "Technically, hydrants are part of civic water infrastructure under the KWA. But during emergencies, we rely on them for immediate water access.
The fact that there is only one operational public hydrant is a real concern. I will also verify why the fire and rescue officers gave such an irresponsible answer," he said.
When contacted for clarification, a KWA official said: "We install fire hydrants only when requested by the fire and rescue services or the local body. In most cases, there is no formal communication or demand. Also, hydrants must be connected to adequate pipeline pressure, which needs planning and budget allocation," the official said.
