Local Innovation Offers An Alternative Firefighting Solution In Sitamau

Sitamau (Madhya Pradesh): Amid rising fire incidents and a shortage of fire brigades in Mandsaur district, local bodies and villagers are adopting low-cost alternative firefighting arrangements using water tankers fitted with motor pumps.

Officials said the district, with a population of nearly 17 lakh, currently has only 11 fire brigades, leaving each vehicle responsible for nearly 100 to 150 villages. Due to long distances, fire brigades often take 30 minutes to over an hour to reach rural areas, leading to major property losses in recent fire incidents.

In Sitamau, the municipal council has developed an alternative firefighting system by attaching motor engines to water tankers. Similar locally-made arrangements are already being used by farmers in rural areas, where diesel or petrol-powered pumps can spray water up to 50 to 80 feet with pressure.

Officials believe such low-cost innovations could help gram panchayats handle initial fire emergencies effectively. Recently, during a fire incident in Sitamau, a farmer’s improvised tanker system reportedly proved useful when the fire brigade failed to arrive on time.

District Collector Aditi Garg has directed urban bodies to keep emergency fire vehicles functional and ready for emergencies.