CANACONA
The Canacona Fire Station is all set to to be moved to a distant and lesser accessible location of Chapoli, which is connected with a narrow road and is two kilometres away from the NH66 highway.
The move has drawn widespread criticism, with many raising objections to the move and have demanded that the fire station be centrally located, preferably at the Goa Housing Board Colony at Mokharamoll across the NH66 highway.
The Canacona fire station is presently functioning at Xeller in one of the two civil supply godowns located just adjacent to the NH66 highway and opposite the Canacona police station, making it largely convenient for people of Canacona to approach and contact the fire station in times of emergency.
Though there is a long-pending demand to upgrade the Canacona Fire Station and to relocate it to a more spacious and independent location, the fire station has continued to function in the Godown for over 50 years.
It was during the Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar’s visit to Canacona, that former Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes requested an upgrading of the Canacona Fire Station and shifting to a more spacious location.
Parrikar had accepted Fernandes’ plea to allot suitable land in the Goa Housing Board Plots at Mokhardamoll (Shristhal) adjacent to the Highway road for the Canacona Fire Station.
RESERVATIONS
Fernandes has now objected to the move to shift the fire station to Chapoli, and insisted that it should be located only at the GHB Colony in Mokhardamoll.
“What haste is there to shift it elsewhere, when the process to acquire land is already underway to have the Fire Station at a central location,” asked Fernandes.
JUSTIFICATION
According to sources, there are moves to shift the Fire Station to the new location at the Multi Purpose Cyclone Shelter, a ground plus two-storeyed structure lying vacant at Chapoli, a distance of over 5 kms from Canacona Police Station and over 2 kms from the NH66 highway.
The move has been initiated after the Civil Supplies Department has sought vacation of its shed at Xeller occupied by Canacona Fire Station and wants to use its own premises
SITES
It is learnt that the construction of a Fire Station in the allotted land in Housing Board at Mokhard is also under consideration of the Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services.
However, due to non-payment by the Home Ministry for acquisition of the land in Housing Board, the place is yet to come under its control.
As an option, fire authorities received instructions from higher up to move its Operational Division to the Multi Purpose Cyclone Shelter (MPCS) in Chapoli.
