Pulwama : Sangerwani, a village located 24 km from the district headquarters of Pulwama, continues to remain without a Fire and Emergency Services station, leaving the village and its adjoining areas Abhama, Baghander and Inderwali vulnerable to major fire damage. Residents say that each incident results in complete destruction, mainly because the nearest fire station is nearly 14 km away, causing long delays in response time.
For many families in the area, the absence of a fire service has resulted in irreversible loss. Tariq Ahmad Koli, a resident whose house was gutted in a fire incident in 2022, said the family “lost everything” before help arrived. “All our books, documents, clothes, everything was gone,” he said. He added that a closer fire station “could have helped save the house in time.”
Another resident, Mohammad Shafi Gorsi, recalled a similar experience when his two-storey house was destroyed. “I spent my whole life building this house, but the fire finished it,” he said. Gorsi added that the nearest fire tender took “almost one hour and thirty minutes” to reach. “By that time, the house was already gone. All our dreams were shattered.”
Bashir Ahmad Koli, another affected resident, shared the same concern. He said his house too was reduced to ashes during a fire incident and stressed that a local fire station was urgently needed to prevent such losses in the future.
Local representatives say the demand has been raised repeatedly but without results. Sarpanch Riyaz Ahmad Koli said he has brought up the issue “every time”, including during a recently organised Thana Diwas programme. “We have raised this demand again, but there has been no speedy response from authorities,” he said.
Police officials confirm that the issue has been put forward at higher levels. Mohammad Younis, the in-charge of the local police post, said that during a recent Thana Diwas held by Rajpora Police Station, the demand was conveyed in the presence of senior officials. “The DGP and SSP Pulwama were informed about the need for a fire service in Sangerwani,” he said, adding that the matter is under consideration.
The MLA of Rajpora constituency, Mohiudeen Mir, acknowledged that the demand has been pending for years. “For the past seven years, there was no functioning government,” he said. Mir added that he has “assured the people of Sangerwani” that the matter will be resolved soon. “I have already sent a report to the Director General of Fire and Emergency Services. A suitable location will be finalised and this issue will be solved soon,” he said.
Local social worker Choudhary Danish, who has been campaigning on the issue, said he has protested multiple times to highlight the problem. “Many fire incidents have happened in Sangerwani and the adjoining areas,” he said. “I will continue to protest until this issue is resolved.”
For now, residents of Sangerwani remain hopeful that sustained appeals from the community and local representatives will lead to the establishment of a fire and emergency service that the area has long needed, said Shakir Maqbool, a resident of Sangerwani.
