Much-needed fire station in TVM's Palode stuck for years, building lies abandoned

Palode: More than a decade after the State Human Rights Commission ordered a fire station at Palode, the facility is yet to become operational. In this disaster-prone hill belt, where every minute can count during an emergency, the building constructed for the station now lies abandoned, slowly being swallowed by weeds.

The demand for a fire station at Palode dates back to 2011, when V Manikandan of Chembankode submitted a petition during then chief minister Oommen Chandy’s mass contact programme, enclosing a Manorama report highlighting the need for a station in the area. The Home Department subsequently decided to establish one.

But the decision failed to translate into action. In 2015, Manikandan approached the State Human Rights Commission again, naming the principal secretary of the Home Department as the respondent. The commission, headed by Justice J B Koshy, directed the authorities to take further steps, observing that a fire station at Palode was an urgent necessity.

It was only in 2021 that the project appeared to move forward. A building was constructed on a small plot near Palode hospital using ₹10 lakh from the MLA fund of D K Murali. The facility included a garage for a fire engine, an office with two small rooms and a signboard for the proposed station.

But the project hit a roadblock even before the station could open its doors. An inspection found the facility ill-suited for emergency operations, with the director general of Fire and Rescue Services flagging the cramped premises and its location along the hospital road, which could delay fire engines from getting out quickly.

The building was later deemed poorly planned and unsuitable for the location. It was never commissioned as a fire station and now lies unused, increasingly overgrown with vegetation.

The need has only grown
The delay in establishing the station is particularly concerning given the area it is meant to serve. Palode is surrounded by tourist destinations such as Mankayam, Braemore and Arippa, tribal settlements in Peringammala panchayat and the forests of the Western Ghats. The region is also home to the Vamanapuram river, Botanical Garden, Veterinary Biological Institute and Chief Disease Investigation Office, besides rich biodiversity and wildlife habitats that form part of the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

When emergencies occur, fire and rescue teams have to travel from Vithura or Kadakkal, nearly 25 km away. In incidents involving tree falls, landslides or drowning, the distance can prove critical. Several interior locations in the area are accessible only through steep, winding roads with dangerous curves, further slowing the response. A fire station at Palode could cut travel time by hours, potentially making a crucial difference during emergencies.