Varanasi: To address the needs of rapidly expanding urban areas, industrial activity, national highways and rural safety, the fire station network in Varanasi is being expanded and modernised. The move is aimed at reducing response time during fire incidents and strengthening the protection of life and property across the district.The Pindra Fire Station has already been established, while several existing fire stations are being upgraded and modernised. These initiatives are expected to make Varanasi’s fire safety system more comprehensive and technologically advanced.Chief Fire Officer Anand Singh Rajput said work is underway on proposals to establish new fire stations at multiple locations. A proposal for a fire station at Kuru village in Baragaon has been sent to the Fire Services Headquarters and the state government, while approval has already been granted for setting up a fire station at Khajuri village in Rajatalab tehsil.The CFO said the district administration has been requested to provide land free of cost for fire stations in rural and rapidly urbanising areas, particularly Sarnath, Jalhupur, Chaubepur and Cholapur, to reduce emergency response time. Once land is allotted, proposals will be forwarded to the Fire Services Headquarters for approval. He added that Banaras Hindu University has recently agreed to provide land for a fire station, which will significantly strengthen fire safety in the southern and educational zones of the city.At present, five permanent fire stations are operational in Varanasi, including those at Bhelupur, Chetganj, Pindra, the Special Fire Station at Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham and a mini fire station at Kotwali. A new fire station at Khajuri in Rajatalab is also expected to become operational soon.Temporary fire stations are currently set up at Rohania and Cholapur during the summer season to ensure quick response to crop fires and other emergencies in rural areas. The establishment of permanent fire stations in these regions is expected to provide year-round fire services.Officials said the expanded network will improve emergency response to crop fires, residential and commercial building fires, industrial and warehouse incidents, gas and chemical transport emergencies, and accidents on national highways, enabling fire tenders to reach affected locations more quickly and minimise loss of life and property.
