In a major push to modernise emergency response infrastructure, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced a ₹500 crore budget allocation aimed at upgrading the capital’s fire services. Speaking from a fire service station on Thursday, the CM reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving the reach, efficiency, and technological strength of fire departments across the city.

“Today, we are at our fire service station, and the Delhi government is fully committed to ensuring that our fire services, fire stations, and technology are up to date,” Gupta said.

She highlighted the recent procurement of new high-tech firefighting machines, including a state-of-the-art water tower system designed to tackle fires in high-rise buildings and hard-to-reach zones. “We have allocated ₹500 crore for this purpose in our budget, and as you can see, we are continuously working in this direction,” she added.

Among the new equipment unveiled were four advanced firefighting machines, notably the water tower unit that can spray water from a significant height — a feature particularly useful in congested urban pockets where traditional firefighting trucks struggle to gain access.

“These machines are helpful in areas where fires occur at heights or places that are difficult to reach, where machines cannot normally access,” the Chief Minister said, signalling the government’s intent to proactively address urban firefighting challenges.

Officials from the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) said the new machines would be deployed in critical zones of the city, particularly in high-rise clusters and densely populated neighbourhoods prone to fire hazards.