With the inauguration of two new fire stations in Chandua and Chitrakonda, the Odisha Fire Service has achieved a new milestone with opening at least one Fire Station in each of the State’s 314 blocks.

On Wednesday, the two pending blocks of Chandua under Kuliana block of Mayurbhanj district and Chitrakonda Swabhiman Anchal under Chitrakonda block of Malkangiri district joined the mainstream by having their Fire Stations.

Revenue Minister Sudam Marandi and Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra jointly inaugurated the two Fire Stations on virtual platform in the presence of Fire Service Director General Santosh Kumar Upadhyay.

With this inauguration, the Fire Service Directorate fulfilled the State Government’s target to have one Fire Station in each block. The total number of Fire Stations in the State went up to 341.

In November 2015, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had announced that his Government would set up 335 Fire Stations across the State in a phased manner with an objective to open at least one fire station in each block.

The Fire Service is not only providing services relating to fire incidents, it also has now emerged as a major disaster management wing. Whenever there is a natural calamity like cyclone/floods or drowning incident, it is the Fire Service personnel who stand tall with the people.

The Odisha Fire Service has also helped a lot of other States like West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala when these States were facing severe devastations due to cyclones and floods.