In a significant step towards strengthening disaster response infrastructure, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today flagged off 14 new fire tenders from Chowra Maidan, Shimla, marking a major boost to the state’s firefighting capabilities. Acquired at a cost of ₹6.70 crore, these fire tenders will be deployed across various strategic locations, including the Training Centre Baldeyan, and fire stations at Deha, Ubadesh, Nerwa, and Theog in Shimla district; Dharampur and Thunag in Mandi; Kaza in Lahaul-Spiti; Shahpur and Indora in Kangra; and Nadaun in Hamirpur.
The Chief Minister highlighted that the distribution of the new vehicles has been done keeping in mind the requirements of both remote tribal areas and densely populated towns, ensuring faster response times in emergencies. He also informed that an additional ₹23 crore has been earmarked for procuring more fire tenders to expand the fleet further.
Reaffirming the State Government’s commitment to modernising the fire services, CM Sukhu stated that a provision of ₹4.24 crore has been made in the 2025–26 budget for upgrading and equipping fire stations, while ₹7 crore has been allocated for constructing departmental buildings at Nadaun and Indora.
In a move to enhance human resource capacity in emergency services, the Chief Minister also announced that the recruitment process for 700 Home Guard positions will commence soon, providing much-needed manpower support to the fire and emergency services departments.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
