Following a stringent directive from the Kerala State Human Rights Commission (SHRC), the district administration and the Kozhikode Municipal Corporation have initiated swift measures to establish a temporary fire and rescue station in an easily accessible location closer to the mofussil bus stand.
The move comes in the wake of widespread public outcry after the beach fire station was completely shifted out to Meenchanda, leaving the city’s prime commercial hubs without immediate emergency cover.
SHRC Judicial Member K. Baijunath, who registered a suo motu case based on media reports about the shifting of the fire station, has directed the District Collector and the Corporation Secretary to jointly identify a strategic and accessible location within the city to temporarily station fire tenders, rescue equipment, and personnel until the permanent new building for the Beach Fire Station is completed. He also asked the officials to submit an action-taken report within 15 days.
Highlighting the importance of the public demand and safety concerns, the panel noted that densely populated residential zones and major commercial centres in the city, including S.M. Street, Court Road, and Palayam, were prone to frequent emergencies. These included major fire outbreaks, the collapse of ageing commercial structures, and complex road traffic accidents, the panel pointed out.
“The State holds a fundamental obligation to ensure public safety by maintaining robust emergency response systems, which is vital to protecting the basic human right to life,” Mr. Baijunath observed in his order. The Commission also warned that the absence of a localised, efficient firefighting mechanism within the city could lead to loss of life and property during emergencies.
A section of local traders and residents had previously raised concerns over the shifting of the facility to Meenchanda, which sits approximately five to six km away from the city centre. The main problem they raised was the increasingly congested arterial roads and bottlenecks at key junctions like Palayam and Pushpa Junction and the delays faced by fire tenders from Meenchanda and Vellimdaukunnu to reach the northern and coastal areas of the city.
They had also pointed out that the shifting of the beach fire station would affect the possibility of a rapid response in case of any fire outbreak at S.M. Street, one of the most vulnerable locations in the heart of Kozhikode city. According to them, the positioning of heavy fire tenders round the clock closer to the commercial hub had already been projected as a necessity multiple times by expert fire fighters.
Meanwhile, Revenue department sources said efforts were on to finalise a suitable spot for the facility closer to the Kozhikode beach or the Corporation office. Public land pockets to station at least two fire tenders would be considered for the interim facility to ensure swift response in case of any emergency situation, they added.
Published – July 16, 2026 07:26 pm IST
