Fire Station -MAKE A RUN FOR IT!

Fire Station - Make a run for it!

The fire station at Rajajinagar Bangalore can teach you what a rescue operation entails. It can also impart valuable lessons in water conservation

Firemen primarily tackle fire accidents, right? They also help during natural calamities, evacuating people to safety. Their main job remains fire-fighting, for which water is their primary raw material. Water, in any fire station, is stored in a large underground sump. Every fire station has a dedicated, express water line provided by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board. The service is unmetered.

 However, for months on end, a fire station may not receive a distress call. The equipment, which lies unused, may not work when required. So, mock drills are conducted every week. But mock drills consume a lot of water. 

The Karnataka State Council for Science & Technology decided to take up rainwater harvesting at the 2-acre Rajajinagar fire station as part of its work in public spaces. As fire stations do not need potable quality water, Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology suggested that the fire station harvest its roof-top rainwater.
Water collected from the roof (area 300 sq. m.) is filtered and stored in an underground sump. An additional sump with a capacity of 60,000 liter is built. This sump can fill 10 fire trucks. It also nurtures a lovely garden.

Rainwater Quenches Fire

The Karnataka Fire and Emergency Services department is a department of the Government of Karnataka that is the foremost disaster management body in Karnataka, India. Among the 17 fire stations in Bangalore, Rajajinagar fire station at Rajajinagar Industrial town has implemented rainwater harvesting. The total plot of the fire station in Rajajinagar is 8, 094 sq. m. with Rooftop area of 297 sq. m. Currently the water supply to the fire station is from BWSSB and borewell meets the per days demand of 5, 000 liter. Existing 60,000 liter sump will be used to store rainwater.

The rainwater flowing through the down water pipes is filtered through four PopUp filters and stored in an existing 60, 000 liter underground sump. With 971 mm average rainfall of Bangalore, the total annual rainwater potential from roof area of 297 sq. m. is around 2, 16, 000 liter.  The water stored in the underground sump is being subsequently used for secondary purpose like gardening, washing, flushing, vehicle washing, fire fighting, equipment, etc., The total roof area of the building is 297 sq. m. and the annual potential of rainwater is around 2, 16, 000 liter. With existing Underground sump storage of 60,000 liter. in total for rainwater, the total requirement of 18, 25, 000 liter is being met for 54 days in a year.