Nagpur: Even as the issue of NMC’s fire fighting mechanism failing to reach into congested city areas has been posing serious threat to these vulnerable pockets, the civic body has shown some preparedness to combat any such eventuality in future. Extending its reach into narrow bylanes and cluttered areas where taking big fire tenders has been a daunting task, the NMC officials have bought four mini fire tenders that can easily enter such areas and timely intervene to contain loss due to fire.
Many areas in Central Nagpur, Sitabuldi, Sadar and other slum belts in Nagpur are highly sensitive in terms of fire accidents. Particularly in thickly crowded lanes (modis) in Sitabuldi where multi-floors hotels and shops are thriving without sufficient fire safety equipments, these mini tenders will prove to be very effective.
The department is also procuring two new water bowsers with storage capacity of 16,000 litres water to assist the mini fire tenders. With the latest development, the number of fire tenders with NMC fire department is now 23.
“We are having four mini tenders that are over 20 years old. Two are not in use and remaining two on verge of being scrapped. Mini fire tenders are very useful in city. In case of any incident in congested areas or localities with narrow lanes, we can engage mini tender having capacity of 2,000 litres each,” said Chief Fire Officer Rajendra Uchake. The capacity of standard fire tenders is 4,000 to 5,000 litres each. Mini-fire tenders cost Rs 28.50 lakh each.
With addition of mini-fire tenders, the department is now equipped with many types of fire fighting machines right from 42 metre turn table ladder to fire motorcycles.
