High Court directs Telangana govt to place on record status of firefighting infrastructure after deadly Gulzar Houz incident in Hyderabad.

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Thursday, February 26, sought a comprehensive report from the state government on the preparedness of fire and emergency services in Hyderabad, particularly in the wake of the deadly Gulzar Houz fire accident in the Old City last year that claimed 17 lives.

Taking up a public interest litigation (PIL) arising from a letter written by a member of a victim’s family, the court directed the government to furnish detailed information on the facilities, resources, and operational status of the Fire Services Department.

Serious lapses in response to Gulzar Houz blaze: PIL

The petitioner alleged serious lapses in the response to the Gulzar Houz blaze, including a delay in the arrival of fire engines and ambulances, and malfunctioning equipment at the scene.The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin issued notices to the Principal Secretary, Home Department; the Director General of Disaster Management; the Director of Medical and Health Department; and the Hyderabad City Police Commissioner.

The court directed them to file detailed counters explaining the allegations and outlining the current state of disaster preparedness.

HC seeks info on fire engines, functionality of oxygen masks, breathing apparatus

Specifically, the High Court asked the government to submit information on the number and working conditions of fire engines presently available, the functionality of oxygen masks and breathing apparatus, water supply arrangements, and other critical firefighting infrastructure.

In the letter treated as a PIL, the petitioner sought a judicial inquiry headed by a sitting or retired judge into the alleged failure of the Fire Services Department during the Gulzar Houz incident.

It was contended that despite receiving information about the fire, emergency services failed to reach the spot in time, and that some fire engines did not function properly even after arriving.

Matter adjourned for 4 weeks

The court adjourned the matter for four weeks, granting time to the respondents to place the required details and counter-affidavits on record.