LAHORE, Jan 12: The fire brigade lacks arrangements for fighting fires in over 200 highrise buildings in the provincial metropolis even more than a year and a quarter after the September 2001 fire in a departmental store.

The fire brigade also lacks the facilities to control the fires breaking out in the heart of the Walled City after the gradual disappearance of fire hydrants installed at suitable points by British rulers. Neither its lorries can enter the narrow lanes of the city nor its pipes can be joined together beyond the distance of a few hundred feet for controlling the fire.

The new highrise buildings are above 100 feet in height, but none of the fire brigades stationed at Jinnah Hall, Paniwala Talab, Queens Road, Ravi Road Timber Market, Shahdara, Baghbanpura, Ferozepur Road, Bund Road, Badami Bagh, Shah Mohammad Ghaus, Shadbagh and Dharampura has the facility to reach a height above 28 to 30 feet with the existing ladders.

Fire brigade officials had approached the City District Government for acquiring the turntable vans capable of reaching up to a 145-foot height soon after the fire in a departmental store in Gulberg. The store has reopened after repairs, but the CDG is still to acquire the vans required for controlling the fires erupting in highrise buildings.

The fire brigade officials also face the problem of water supply for controlling big fires which cannot be brought under control by 800 to 1,200 gallons of water with which the fire lorries rush to the places where the fire has been reported. Water is available at only 10 of the 30 hydrants existing in different parts of the city.

The fire brigade officials have proposed installation of fire hydrants at all the 243 Wasa tubewells for procuring supply of water in the event of any emergency. They have also proposed establishment of new fire stations at Manga Mandi, Raiwind, Kahna and Batapur and acquisition of fire lorries and fire-fighting equipment for the same.

A request for the acquisition of new vehicles for the staff and recruitment of additional staff has also been made.