Visit to Fire Services, SDRF and Civil Defence Headquarters at Gachibowli

 Mr. Anand visited the office of the Director General, Fire Services, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Civil Defence Department located in the Financial District, Gachibowli, to gain a firsthand understanding of the functioning of the department. The department is presently headed by Vikram Singh Mann, who earlier served as Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Hyderabad City.

During detailed discussions and presentations held over nearly two hours, officers briefed on the organisational structure, the number of fire stations, availability of fire-fighting vehicles, and the critical role played by the department in responding to fire accidents, floods, building collapses, and earthquakes. The response mechanisms adopted during such emergencies were explained, and the Dial 101 emergency response control room was also visited.

The officers highlighted several challenges faced by the department, including manpower shortages due to vacancies, equipment requirements, and multiple proposals pending at the government level for consideration. It was noted during the interaction that this was the first occasion on which a Home Secretary had visited the department to directly enquire into its functioning and requirements.

The visit provided an opportunity to understand the operational constraints and requirements of the department, which would be examined further at the government level.