Jahangeer Ganaie
Pulwama, Oct 22: The residents of Rohmoo and Chakoora hamlets in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district have expressed deep concern over the absence of Fire and emergency Service stations in their respective localities, saying the lack of this vital facility has resulted in repeated losses of life and property over the years.
Locals from both areas said that despite repeated pleas and official assurances, the government has failed to set up fire service stations to cater to the large population spread across dozens of villages.
The residents of Rohmoo, which falls under the Rajpora belt, said that around 20–25 villages with thousands of residents depend on the Pulwama fire station, which is nearly 10 kilometers away.
They said that in case of any fire incident; the response time is extremely delayed, leading to devastating losses.
“By the time fire tenders reach Rohmoo and adjoining villages, property worth lakhs is already reduced to ashes,” said Qayoom Khan, a local social activist.
“We have approached successive governments for setting up a station here, but nothing has been done.”
Another local resident, Zaroof Ahmad, said that fire incidents have been on the rise in recent years and that the Pulwama fire station cannot effectively cater to hundreds of villages across the district. “During the last few years, several families have suffered huge financial losses. A local fire station could have saved both property and lives,” he added.
The residents of Chakoora village said that all official formalities for establishing a Fire and Emergency Service station in their area were completed in 2021, yet the government has not issued the final approval.
“We have been following up the matter since 2020. Every file, every approval is complete. The project is ready on paper, but no physical work has started,” said Abdul Rashid, a resident of Chakoora.
Locals said the nearest fire stations are about 20 kilometers away, leaving the entire belt including Chakoora, Panzgam, Litter and other adjoining villages highly vulnerable.
“In case of a fire, we can do nothing but watch our homes burn while waiting for help from distant stations,” said Mohammad Yousuf, another local. “We have raised the demand before every visiting official, but our pleas fall on deaf ears.”
Residents from both Rohmoo and Chakoora expressed disappointment over what they described as the government’s “mute spectator attitude” toward an essential public safety issue.
They appealed to the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services to act swiftly and approve new fire service stations in both the areas.
