Roque Dias
Margao
The proposed 25,000-litre overhead water tank for firefighting at Margao’s New Market has been shelved, with space constraints cited for abandoning the planned site and a booster pump system now being pursued to increase water pressure.
The government had installed 15 fire hydrants in the New Market and Gandhi Market areas several months ago at a cost of several lakhs of rupees.
The overhead tank was initially planned at the site of the old fish market, but the Margao Municipal Council subsequently allocated the plot for a multi-level parking project. After a fire at the New Market, an old pickup stand area was suggested as an alternative site.
“Neither location has sufficient high-altitude land to make construction of an overhead tank feasible. Laying a separate pipeline to provide the required pressure would also take considerable time,” said PWD engineers.
The hydrants are presently connected to a pipeline providing water pressure of 1.5 kg, while fire officials have said 4.5 kg pressure is required to tackle fires in buildings with four or more floors. The existing arrangement is therefore limited to incidents at ground or first-floor level, according to fire personnel.
“Formalities for installing a one-plus-one booster pump system are underway and could take a few months,” said authorities.
Several citizens said the PWD’s proposal to use high-capacity booster pumps connected directly to the main water line may not provide a sustainable long-term solution and questioned whether the system would maintain sufficient pressure during an emergency.
A vendor said, “Booster pumps rely on electricity and a steady supply; what happens if the power fails during a fire?”
Citizens urged the government to resolve the issue before the festive season.
