Fire service personnel conducted drills and public awareness campaigns.
| Photo Credit: R. RAGU
Ahead of the Deepavali festival, the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services Department has made extensive safety arrangements across the State, with all the personnel from 384 Fire and Rescue Stations being mobilised for duty.
Director-General of Police (DGP) and Director of the Department, Seema Agrawal, said that 43 Fire and Rescue Stations in Chennai had been placed on high alert, with full mobilisation from October 18 to 22.
Based on past experience, 24 key locations in Chennai have been identified for special monitoring where additional vehicles and personnel from neighbouring districts will be deployed between 5 p.m. on October 18 (Saturday) and 8 a.m. on October 22 (Wednesday) as a precautionary measure.
To ensure adequate water availability in case of emergencies, Chennai Metro Water has been asked to keep 50 water tankers on standby.
As part of preventive measures, awareness programmes have been conducted at 2,715 locations, including schools, colleges, and public places.
Regarding firecracker sales, the department has issued 9,207 No Objection Certificates (NOCs) across Tamil Nadu, including 1,088 in Chennai for temporary and cluster shops. About 770 applications were rejected for failing to meet safety norms, Ms. Agrawal said.
The department has urged the public to follow fire safety guidelines, handle fireworks responsibly, and cooperate with authorities to ensure a safe and incident-free Deepavali celebration across the State.
Published – October 17, 2025 05:35 am IST
