According to data accessed by the Patriot, the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) received 11,201 calls between April and June 16, with 2,991 calls being made for various emergencies in the month of May alone.
In 2023 the DFS recorded around 6,000 fire-related calls over the same period. On the other hand, in the first quarter from January 1 to May 26, the DFS had recorded 8,912 emergency calls.
The excessive number of calls has been attributed to the rise in temperatures and the prevailing heatwave. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the heatwave is set to continue till June 20. Atul Garg, the DFS chief, said heatwave conditions have started to put additional burden on appliances and cables, which have, in turn, started to buckle under pressure.
“Wires and appliances get overloaded owing to the prevailing heatwave conditions. This has made them more prone to fire. Moreover, the heavy usage of cooling appliances has also led to the power generators to get overloaded leading to short circuits across the national capital,” he said.
Reportedly, most of the calls are being received from the industrial areas in and around West Delhi, where short circuits and overloads have become the norm within the area’s cramped alleys.
Such incidents in the national capital have resulted in the deaths of 55 people and injuries to over 300 over the same period.
Garg also said that earlier in the summer, the number of fire-related calls would not go beyond 160 per day. However, now the number has risen to over 200 daily. On May 30, the DFS received over 220 calls in a single day, making it a record in 10 years.
