Water storage tanks to be installed to deal with fires in Kullu rural areas

Our Correspondent

Kullu, March 1

The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Kullu, identified 44 places in remote villages of the district where RCC and prefabricated tanks are set to be constructed and connected to pipelines and fire hydrants to tackle incidents of fire in rural areas, which lack proper road connectivity and are located far from fire stations.

The district administration decided to install large water tanks in densely populated areas with traditional ‘Kath Kuni’ style wooden houses, where there was a high possibility of fire damage.

Can reduce heavy losses

• District administration decided to install large water tanks in densely populated areas with traditional 'Kath Kuni' style wooden houses
• Due to the lack of water storage, fires often cannot be controlled in a timely manner, and property worth crores gets destroyed
• The heavy loss caused by fire every year can potentially be reduced if the administration's plan to construct RCC and prefabricated water tanks in rural areas comes to fruition
• The departments were directed to revive reservoirs which have a water storage capacity of more than 10,000 litres under the campaign

Kullu districts recorded many major incidents of fire in the last few years. Most of the houses in villages of the area are made of wood, and stand adjacent to each other. If a fire breaks out in one house, the flames can easily reach other houses. Due to the lack of water storage, fires often cannot be controlled in a timely manner, and property worth crores of rupees gets destroyed.

The massive fires in Malana, Banjar and Kotla villages had destroyed almost the entire villages. The heavy loss caused by fire every year can potentially be reduced if the administration’s plan to construct RCC and prefabricated water tanks in rural areas comes to fruition.

Last year, the DDMA had started to identify and map the places prone to fires in view of fire safety in different areas of the district. The DC had directed all subdivisional officers to identify such villages under their jurisdiction.

Mapping had been previously done by the DDMA in relation to the loss and available resources under the JUARE Yojana.

Now, 44 such places have been identified in remote villages of the district, where RCC and prefabricated water tanks are set to be constructed.

The Forest Department, Jal Shakti Department and District Rural Development Agency Department were instructed to revive all the reservoirs in the district under the ‘Catch the Rain’ project.

The departments were directed to revive reservoirs which have a water storage capacity of more than 10,000 litres under the campaign. Natural water sources were also being identified by departments concerned to make storage facilities. These reservoirs and water storage facilities could prove to be useful to control fires in the neighbouring villages.

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