The Uttar Pradesh housing department has allocated Rs 350 crore for the procurement of advanced fire tenders equipped with hydraulic platforms, aiming to enhance firefighting capabilities in high-rise buildings across the state. This decision comes in response to concerns raised by residents of multi-storey housing societies regarding the effectiveness of existing firefighting equipment for upper floors.
Fund Allocation and Distribution
The funds will be channeled through housing development authorities and handed over to the fire department. The modern tenders are intended for 11 cities where vertical construction has grown rapidly: Ghaziabad, Lucknow, Agra, Meerut, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Bareilly, Moradabad, and Ayodhya. Officials emphasized that the focus is on strengthening equipment suited for taller residential towers as urbanization drives higher building footprints across the state.
Ghaziabad to Receive Most Advanced Vehicles
Ghaziabad, a key city in the National Capital Region with a growing cluster of high-rise projects, will receive the most advanced vehicles under the plan. Two tenders capable of reaching flats up to 102 metres above ground level are proposed for the city, with an allocation of Rs 100 crore.
Exclusion of Noida and Greater Noida
A senior housing department officer clarified that Noida, Greater Noida, and Yamuna Expressway authorities are excluded from this plan because they are administered by the industrial development department, not housing agencies. Only housing development agencies would pool in the money and coordinate with the fire department to procure the tenders.
Allotments for Lucknow and Varanasi
Lucknow will also get two tenders, designed to reach up to 90 metres, while Varanasi is slated to receive one such vehicle. The cost of these high-reach tenders is estimated at about Rs 68 crore per unit, officials indicated.
Equipment for Other Cities
For Agra, Meerut, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, and Prayagraj, the fire department has sought 72-metre-high tenders in line with the height profile of buildings in these cities. In Bareilly, Moradabad, and Ayodhya, where high-rise development remains limited, official estimates place the maximum building height under 42 metres, influencing the type of equipment planned.
Technical Specifications
The highest-capacity tenders will come with turntable ladders and platforms, with telescopic booms to extend firefighters to upper levels, potentially covering towers of up to 30 floors.
Official Response
Director General of Fire Safety Sujeet Pandey said, "We welcome the positive step of the housing department, which is aimed at improving the overall safety of the urban population."
