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4 new fire stations,6 more skylifts: Delhi Fire Service budget raised to Rs 674 cr in push to modernise infra
Officials said the DFS has plans to buy 6 more Bronto Skylift platforms and 20 more fire stations in the coming years.
Gupta, presenting a Rs 1.03 lakh crore Budget, described it as a āhistoric shift in governanceā, saying it seeks to balance development with the protection of āMother Earthā (PTI Photo)
In a major push to modernise the emergency response infrastructure, the Delhi government has raised the budget of the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) by about 27% from Rs 530 crore in the current fiscal to Rs 674 crore for the financial year 2026ā27.
The enhanced allocation aims to strengthen firefighting capabilities through the procurement of advanced equipment, including six Bronto Skylift hydraulic platforms, and the establishment of four new fire stations across the Capital. Presently, the DFS has three such hydraulic platforms and 71 fire stations.
While announcing the Budget in the Delhi Assembly, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday said that numerous fire accidents occur every year in the city. In the event of a fire in the narrow lanes of the city, single-entry households, congested slum settlements, and unauthorised colonies, it becomes extremely difficult to control the blaze, she underlined.
“To make Delhi a safer city, it is essential to upgrade the infrastructure and machinery of the (Delhi) Fire Services. In the year 2025ā26, we made sincere efforts in this direction. A total of 24 quick response vehicles and advanced machinery were added to the infrastructure. For the year 2026ā27, it is proposed to increase the Fire departmentās Budget from Rs 530 crore to Rs 674 crore,ā said the CM.
This, she said, includes the establishment of new fire service stations, the addition of 26 quick response vehicles, and the provision of modern machinery and advanced equipment to ensure the safety of the people of Delhi.
Officials said the DFS has plans to buy 6 more Bronto Skylift platforms and 20 more fire stations in the coming years.
An official said the government has also planned to buy 11 more turntable ladder trucks that offer fast and linear rescue especially in the dense and narrow urban streets.
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Fire safety infrastructure in the city has been at the centre of a political row after nine of a family died in a fire at a residential building in West Delhiās Palam last week. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged a snag in the hydraulic fire tender hampered the rescue operations.
The Delhi government, however, hit back saying that the AAP government did nothing to modernise the infrastructure during its time in office.
Citing the preliminary inquiry report, Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood on Monday also said that highly inflammable material was stored in the basement of the building, owned by AAP member Rajender Kashyap, where he ran a cosmetics shop.
A single staircase, traffic congestion on the road due to ongoing digging and repair work, and alleged interference from the public were among the key operational challenges faced by the DFS in dousing the operation, as per the inquiry report.
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