Hyderabad needs 200 fire stations, but has only 40

Hyderabad: Fire accidents in the city have risen by an alarming 50% in the past three years - from 1,711 in 2023 to 2,633 in 2025 -- yet Hyderabad has only 20% of the fire stations required under central norms. The shortfall has pushed response times to 20 to 30 minutes on average—up to six times the prescribed limit of five minutes.According to recommendations of the Standing Fire Advisory Council under the ministry of home affairs (MoHA), urban areas should have at least one fire station for every 10 sq km. In Hyderabad though – despite its urban sprawl expanding nearly threefold to around 2,000 sq km, -- the three municipal corporations (Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Malkajgiri) collectively operate only around 40 fire stations. In fact, all of Telangana has around 150 fire stations.Based on MoHA guidelines, the Hyderabad metropolitan region alone requires 200 (approx.) fire stations. The consequences of this infrastructure gap were starkly felt during the massive fire at the Sigachi industrial unit on June 30, 2025 which claimed more than 50 lives. The first fire tender reportedly reached the accident site from Patancheru only after about 30 minutes, having travelled nearly 14 km. This was the nearest available station for the unit.In another instance reported in Nov last year, a man was charred to death inside his car on the Outer Ring Road near Shamirpet even as the fire tender reached almost 30 - 45 minutes later. It had to be dispatched from Cherlapally, nearly 20 km away.Yet, large stretches along the ORR still remain underserved. In several locations, the nearest fire stations are over 10 km away, requiring at least 15 minutes to reach an accident site. Existing stations serving the ORR corridor are located at Gachibowli, Shamirpet, Kukatpally, Rajendranagar, Hayathnagar, Patancheru, Jeedimetla, Madhapur and Maheshwaram.Even in emerging pockets such as Kokapet, Tellapur, Kollur, Kompally and parts of Shamshabad, the situation is much the same. While each of these areas have seen a proliferation of gated communities, office complexes and educational institutions, they lack a network of fire stations – the closest to any place being at least 15 km (30 - 40 minutes minutes) away.Land acquisition challengeApart from inadequate infrastructure, fire officials claim that acquiring land for new stations poses an extra layer of challenge. According to them, identifying strategically located sites and securing land in rapidly developing areas has become increasingly difficult due to escalating land prices and ownership disputes.“Efforts are underway to strengthen the city’s fire safety infrastructure. In the last two years alone, the department has established seven new stations in Hyderabad, including Jubilee Hills, Amberpet and Chandrayangutta. However, setting up new stations remains challenging due to issues related to land availability and disputes,” said G V Narayana Rao, director, Telangana fire services.To strengthen firefighting capabilities, the department has also placed an order for a Bronto Skylift from Finland, a specialised firefighting platform capable of dousing fires at heights of up to 104 metres, Narayana said, adding that the equipment is expected to enhance the department’s ability to tackle emergencies in high-rise buildings, a segment that has grown rapidly across Hyderabad’s skyline.Experts have urged the state government to undertake a comprehensive assessment of fire-prone zones and densely populated areas across Hyderabad to identify infrastructure gaps and prioritize the establishment of new fire stations. They stressed that the expansion of fire services would require substantial investment in land, firefighting equipment, emergency vehicles and trained personnel.Need exclusive corridor“The government must create a dedicated emergency response mechanism on city roads. Whenever a fire emergency is reported, traffic authorities should immediately facilitate a clear emergency corridor exclusively for fire tenders and rescue vehicles, enabling them to reach the incident site in the shortest possible time. Such a system could significantly reduce response times and help save lives and property during critical emergencies,” said C Andrew, an expert and fire safety auditor.