KARIMNAGAR: The Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services Department seems to have ended up in a soup in erstwhile Karimnagar.
With their outstanding dues at petrol pumps now running into lakhs, the pump managements are now reportedly denying the provision of diesel for their vehicles.
The officers worry that they would no longer be able to bring their vehicles to spots of fire accidents on time.
On Thursday, one petrol pump owner declined to fill the tank of a fire tender belonging to Karimnagar fire services department, because an amount of Rs 2 lakh was pending to be paid.
After much negotiation, the pump owner agreed to fill about 150 litres of diesel in the vehicle, but only after maintaining many conditions.
The situation is not different in other districts like Jagtial, Peddapalli and Rajanna-Sircilla.
District Fire Officer T Venkanna said that a total of around Rs 10 lakh is yet to be paid at various petrol pumps across the four districts.
At times, when the department receives an emergency call, the officials end up unable to use their vehicles. “Often, we pay the money from our own pockets,” he said.