Five fire hydrants that were installed in Mapusa municipal market at a cost of Rs 23.44 lakh are awaiting the construction of an overhead water tank and alternative power supply, without which they will be non-operational, and hence, useless if a fire breaks out.
There are 1,114 shops in the market, while hawkers occupy every inch of the footpath and internal roads. Two-wheelers are also parked there. In the event of fire, it becomes very difficult for fire tenders to wend their way through these ‘hurdles’. For this reason, Mapusa merchants requested that fire hydrants be installed.
In December 2012, fire gutted 16 shops in the market, causing a loss of around Rs 1 crore. Fire personnel had a tough time extinguishing the fire even though it broke out early morning, when there was a smaller crowd. In 2013, fires broke out on January 4, February 11, May 28, and July 22. In 2014, fires broke out on May 16, July 12, and August 18. In 2015, two shops were gutted on January 9, resulting in a loss of Rs 3 lakh.
On January 14, the Bardez Deputy Collector Pundalik Korjuvekar held a meeting with officials of the Mapusa fire station, Public Works Division (PWD), Electricity Department, Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) and Mapusa Merchants’ Association.
During the meeting, senior officer of Mapusa fire station M Bosco Ferrao stated that although fire hydrants were installed in the market, the same could not be used due to insufficient water pressure. The hydrants are connected to a general water pipeline, and when two hydrants are operated simultaneously, the water pressure drops substantially.
A minimum delivery of 450 gallons (1,800 litres per minute) at minimum pressure from each hydrant is required for firefighting purposes. Hence, there was a need to construct an overhead water tank in the Mapusa market. Ferrao also suggested that an alternative power supply should be provided; besides a jockey and fire pump for maintaining the required water pressure.
Korjuvekar had directed the PWD, MMC and Electricity Department to act accordingly. The meeting took place over six months ago, but the construction of the overhead water tank has not begun, nor has the arrangement for an alternative power supply been made.
“The PWD has written a letter to the fire station, with a copy sent to the MMC Chief Officer and Dy Collector, to allot space to construct the water tank in the market. PWD has prepared the estimates and is awaiting the allotment of space by MMC,” said Mapusa PWD Assistant Engineer Vilas Tambosker.
MMC Municipal Engineer Hussain Muzawar stated that the Mapusa fire station and PWD had to identify a suitable place in the market for the overhead tank. He said, “Let them show us a suitable place and it will be allotted immediately. In fact, MMC had sent letters to PWD and Mapusa fire station in this regard, but did not receive any reply from them. This issue of space can be sorted only with a joint meeting and inspection of the site, not by correspondence.”
Incidentally, when Mapusa fire personnel inspected the market on June 30, they were shocked to find that two fire hydrants were inaccessible as they were covered with sand and mud. Ferrao informed that they regularly inspect the fire hydrants. When their official went to the market on June 30, they could not test the hydrant opposite Sirsat building as the operating valve was covered with sand and mud, while fire hydrant no 4 near Keny’s store was in the same condition.
