West Bengal is set to add 226 fire tenders to its emergency response fleet, with the vehicles scheduled to be launched on Red Road in Kolkata on Wednesday afternoon after a large-scale dry run through the city triggered confusion among motorists and onlookers a day earlier.
Fire department officials said the movement of hundreds of vehicles on Tuesday was part of preparations for the launch. The tenders had been stationed across Kolkata and its outskirts before being brought back to the Institute of Fire Service in Behala. Officials said they would leave Behala for Red Road around 6am on Wednesday.
The fleet includes 25 mounted pumps with tanks, each carrying 6,000 litres of water and fitted with firefighting pumps. It also includes 198 mid-sized water tenders, each with a 2,500-litre capacity and high-pressure operating capability. The remaining three vehicles are articulated water towers capable of sending water to a height of 36 metres.
The scale of the movement is expected to affect traffic in parts of south and southwest Kolkata. Officials and sources cited in the report said congestion could occur along the route from Behala to Red Road, while traffic around Red Road, Mayo Road, Casuarina Avenue and Cathedral Road may also be disrupted during the convoy and launch arrangements.
An official of the state fire and emergency services said the vehicles had been collected from fire stations and surrounding areas for the event. The dry run was conducted before their scheduled movement to the launch venue, explaining the unusually large number of fire tenders seen travelling through the city.
The fleet expansion comes as the state prepares for Durga Puja, when large public gatherings, temporary structures and extended movement through neighbourhoods increase the demands on fire and emergency services. Fire minister Kaushik Chowdhury had announced the expansion of fire tenders and fire stations the previous week and directed Durga Puja organisers to comply strictly with fire safety requirements.
The directions cover the entry and exit arrangements at pandals and the type of cloth used in their construction, among other safety provisions. Chowdhury said West Bengal currently has 175 fire stations and that another 109 standby stations would operate during Puja, compared with 99 standby stations last year.
The department is also increasing the number of patrol motorcycles from 250 to 350, according to the minister. The additional vehicles, standby stations and patrol units are intended to strengthen emergency coverage during the festival period, although the source report does not provide a deployment schedule for each new tender or details of the locations where the vehicles will be permanently stationed.
The 226 tenders are scheduled to be formally launched by chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Red Road on Wednesday afternoon. Traffic authorities and emergency services are expected to manage movement around the convoy route and the launch venue during the operation.
