Fire hydrants lie unused: Ctg Wasa, fire service trade blame
Around 174 fire hydrants, set up by Chattogram Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) spending Tk2crore, remained unused because of the reluctance of the fire service and blame games between the two government entities.
Under a World Bank project, Chattogram Wasa installed 30 fire hydrants in 2020 and handed those to the fire service. Despite two years having passed, none of those have been used yet although the fire service faced difficulties during fire incidents in 2022 due to a shortage of water sources.
Mohammed Ariful Islam, superintending engineer (planning and construction) of Chattogram Wasa, told The Business Standard (TBS), "While setting up the hydrants, we worked with the fire service. After a trial run, we handed the hydrants to the fire service after the completion of the project."
However, Md Abdul Malek, assistant director of Chattogram Fire Service and Civil Defense, could not say anything clear about receiving 30 fire hydrants. He is also reluctant to give any information about why those are lying unused.
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In the past four decades, almost 24,000 ponds, water bodies, and reservoirs were filled and grabbed in the port city. Around 670 fire incidents occurred in 2021 that left seven people killed, 19 injured, and an extent of damage worth Tk7.50 crore. Under the circumstances, firefighters are facing difficulties finding water due to the water crisis, causing a huge extent of damage.
According to Chattogram Wasa data, in response to Chattogram Wasa's proposal in 2014, the fire service determined 86 places in the city to establish hydrants. The works of 30 fire hydrants were completed in 2020 under the Chattogram Water Supply and Sanitation development project with World Bank funding. A fire hydrant is a connection point where firefighters can tap into a water supply.
After some tragic fire incidents in the capital in 2019, the Ctg Wasa took the initiative to set up 144 more fire hydrants under the Jica-funded Karnaphuli Water Supply Project-2. The work of setting up the hydrants connecting the 700 kilometres pipeline and 59 DMA (District metering Area) system finished in June 2023.
Makshud Alam, the chief engineer of Chattogram Wasa, told TBS, "Alongside 30 hydrants under the previous project, some of the 144-new hydrants were already handed over to the fire service. They sought some couplings for effective use of the hydrants and the process is underway to provide those."
Fire service's reluctance
Chattogram, a commercial city, has many heavy and light, small and large industrial factories. So, the risk of fire here is high. Keeping the matter in consideration, Wasa set up fire hydrants to fight fire incidents. But the fire service officials are reluctant in using the hydrants.
Fire Service Assistant Director Md Abdul Malek said, "During the crisis period, Wasa supplies water on a rationing basis. But the time and place of the fire incidents are not fixed. The fire may break out at 3 am. If there is no water supply in the area where the fire is? However, Wasa has a contact number if there is no water supply. If they do not pick up the phone at that time. There is a lengthy process."
Wasa Engineer Makshud Alam said, "From the beginning, hydrants were installed with the consultation of the fire service. After the introduction of the DMA system, water supply and monitoring has been digitalised. Ensure the water supply is a matter of the moment."
Wasa hasn't set yet who'll pay the bill
Who will pay the bill for water to be used in hydrants has not been set yet. Discussions in this regard are going on between the two government entities. Generally, Chattogram Wasa supplies water to fire service stations and the latter pays the bills.
The Wasa chief engineer said "The cost of water is not a big issue. We have some street hydrants. The government allocates a fund annually for this. It will be settled once the fire service starts using those."
The Fire Service Assistant Director said "As per the Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting Act 2003, the fire service shall use water from any source free of charge during firefighting. In that case, we will not bear the cost of water for fire hydrants."
