![]() CHONG ZI LIANG MOTLEY CREW: The Kathmandu fire brigade team now includes men from the APF |
Four fire engines, no water, a team of 35 under-equipped men,only less than half of whom are trained firefighters?that is how prepared this city of 2.5 million is for a major fire.
Less reassuring still is that the most modern engine is 25 years old, and there are vintages from the Rana era. Most of the fire trucks are grounded due to poor maintenance, there is not enough water, and there aren't enough water tankers when there is a fire.
Bijay Singh Lama of Juddha Fire Brigade says, "The fire-fighting system is far from what it should be to effectively address the needs of the city." It is a gross understatement. Lama says the lack of preparedness is worrying and there is just no awareness at the policy-level to be prepared for fire disasters.
![]() PICS: KIRAN PANDAY Fire fighters try to control a fire outbreak at a house in Ason. |
The government provides a mere Rs 200,000 for fuel and maintenance of the gas-guzzling vehicles that struggle to even start. "The amount is hardly enough to repair the huge age-worn engines of the fire-trucks," says Kewal Chapagain of the Firefighters Volunteer Association of Nepal, which is pushing for an urgent upgrade. "It's a miracle these engines are running at all."
![]() Fire engines make their way through a single lane road. |
The training given to the initial batch of firemen was the first and the last ever conducted," says Lama. The firemen now get 'on-the-job' training?meaning they train when there is a real fire.
The ministry gets training offers from foreign countries, but these have turned into free vacations for ministry officials. Little attention has been given to the safety of the firemen, who risk their lives every time someone dials 101.
![]() |
And when, against all these odds, the fire engines make it to the road, they are often unable to provide timely service because of traffic jams and narrow roads that are not built to pass an eight-foot wide vehicle.
![]() |
The fire brigade is in serious need of new fire engines, ambulances, staff training and equipment as well as smaller fire trucks to negotiate Kathmandu's narrow alleys.