Imphal, April 16: Manipur Fire Service Director V Zathang has categorically stated that no staff of the State Central Library had informed the Fire Service Dept when MEELAL activists torched the library's building on April 13 destroying books worth Rs ten crores besides damaging a large portion of the building.

Talking to The Sangai Express at his office today, Director V Zathang said that Fire Service personnel rushed to the site with fire fighting equipment only when the Imphal West Dist police personnel informed the matter.

Making an earnest appeal to the public in general and Government employees in particular to report to the Fire Service Department if any unlawful elements tries to commit similar acts in future, he said that the fire fighters would have been able to save a major chunk of the library's building had the library's employees been more alert and informed the about the fire to the Fire Service Dept without any hesitation.

On being asked to give his opinion on Fire Service Dept's becoming one of the most neglected Dept in the State, Director V Zathang said that vehicles presently used by the Department is over twenty years old and a lot of funds is unnecessarily spent on maintaining these vehicles.

He also said that the Department lacks sophisticated fire fighting equipments for fighting infernos of huge magnitude and added that most of the fire fighting equipments presently used by the Dept's fire fighters are too old and outdated and its only through sheer will and courage that fire fighters have been able to fight raging infernos in and around the city.

He however added that efforts are on to procure the latest fire fighting equipments to enable the fire fighters to meet any circumstances.

On being questioned why the fire fighters who had come to put off the fire at the Central Library on April 13 were without any fire proof jackets, the Director answered that the Department does not have even a single fire proof jacket despite its basic requirements.

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