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.
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.
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.