2 days Ago By Kapil Dixit
PRAYAGRAJ: To ensure the safety of pilgrims and devotees during the 2025 Mahakumbh, for the first time, as many as six advanced fire boats will be deployed as part of the safety measures on the mela campus. These fire boats will be deployed at the Maha Kumbh Mela by mid-December. The boats will be stationed in the Sangam area and will use river water to extinguish fires, especially those in tents along the riverbank.
The boats can put out fires up to 300 to 400 metres away. Moreover, 75 quick response vehicles that can extinguish fire with 20 times more effectiveness than normal vehicles will also be deployed in all 25 sectors of Kumbh during the mega religious event. Here, mela fire authorities will also be roping in as many as 80 Motor Bike Fire Fighting Systems (MBFFS) in and around the mela premises.
These bikes will be used as first-aid responders to control fires quickly as they can be easily driven into the narrow lanes of the Maha Kumbh campus. Also, the mela police will apply MCBs (Miniature Circuit Breakers) at all pandals, akharas, and govt offices to check the cases of short circuits, which often cause fires during religious events. Besides, there will be a water hydrant at a distance of every 40 metres inside the mela premises with the aim of offering an adequate supply of water in case of any eventuality.
Chief Fire Officer (Prayagraj) PK Pandey told TOI: “For the first time, mela police will be deploying as many as six high-speed fire boats for advanced fire-fighting arrangements at the world’s biggest religious and spiritual congregation on the banks of the Ganga beginning next January." He adds, “The consignment of all six advanced fire boats will be arriving in the Mahakumbh campus by December 15.” Moreover, as many as 80 Motor Bike Fire Fighting Systems equipped with compressed air foam solution technology are to be stationed in all 25 sectors of the mela campus.
MBFFS is the latest and advanced fire-fighting equipment that uses the power of the motorbike engine to generate water mist using a high-pressure pump. It also consists of a high-pressure driven pump, water tank, and high-pressure hose reel fitted with a jet gun. Besides, the department will also use as many as 40-50 light four-wheeler fire-lighting vehicles that can access small sectors or pockets in and around the mela premises.
The mela police have also decided to set up as many as 50 fire stations and 20 fire outposts on the mela campus. As the mela will be divided into 25 sectors, each sector will have two fire stations, and every akhara will also have a fire police outpost. More importantly, all offices and organisations will have MCB connections.
Additionally, five motor fire machines with a capacity of 2,500 litres, 20 motor fire machines with a capacity of 4,500 litres, 20 portable pump-floating pumps, four advanced rescue tenders, four ambulances, and six foam tenders will also be deployed on the mela campus. The CFO, meanwhile, said, “Fire tenders will also be stationed at 11 railway stations of the city during the 2025 Mahakumbh.”.
