101, 102 emergency lines snap for 20 min

Technical issues in BSNL Telecommunications brought down emergency service lines 101 and 102, for fire and ambulance services, respectively, for about 20 minutes. Fortunately, for the city, no major emergencies came up during the time that gave authorities several anxious moments.

The Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Service (AFES) had started a temporary alternative number and notified the general public about it through their social media platforms.

According to fire officials, the BSNL had informed them well in advance that the lines would go out of service for an hour due to the migration of lines. However, the glitch lasted only 20 minutes, between 3.45pm and 4.05pm.

M F Dastoor, Chief Fire Officer, said, “We didn’t get any emergency calls on our alternative number during the time our telephone lines were dead. BSNL had informed us about it before they started their work, so we could find an alternative solution.”

Soon, the fire department circulated a temporary alternate number, 9726415822, through social media.

The department had also mentioned that the emergency service number 101 will remain out of service for a while, and for any fire emergency, people should contact the alternative number.

H R Muliyana, DCP, Ahmedabad City Control Room, said, “During the brief period, we didn’t get any call for fire or ambulance services. Had we received any call, we would have informed concerned service authorities.”