Chandni Chowk gets a new plan to make sure fire hydrants work
Theft, vandalism posed challenge to firefighting measures
3 min read
The fire hydrants were used during last week’s blaze. (Express File Photo)Ever since they were installed in Chandni Chowk during the redevelopment of a 1.3-km stretch, fire hydrants have been plagued by theft and vandalism.
Firefighting in the densely populated area has always posed significant challenges for the Delhi Fire Services (DFS). The narrow alleys restrict the movement of larger fire tenders, necessitating the use of smaller fire-fighting vehicles with insufficient water-carrying capacity. The proximity of shops, many storing flammable goods, means that even a small fire can quickly escalate into a major accident, taking days to extinguish.
To address such issues, the Chandni Chowk redevelopment plan included the installation of fire hydrants. On the 1.3-km redeveloped stretch between Fatehpuri Masjid and Jain Mandir, a total of 71 fire hydrants were placed on both sides of the road. However, couplings in the hydrants, which are used to connect pipes and draw water, were being stolen, rendering the installations useless. Weak water pressure and lack of replenishment arrangement for the underground tank also emerged as issues.
“While hydrants with a capacity of 6.25 lakh litres have been installed along the 1.3-km stretch, they have remained inoperative. This issue was evident when a fire on May 12 in Kinari Bazaar required 45 fire tenders to be rushed to the scene. After sending multiple letters to the Delhi government and the DFS, the fire hydrants were inspected, the issues were fixed and they were finally used during the recent fire at Marwari Katra’s Anil Market,” market association president Sanjay Bhargava said.
The Delhi government’s Public Works Department has now settled on a plan to ensure that fire-fighting measures are not hindered. “To solve this, the PWD team will now fix the couplings during a fire emergency and then remove them once the fire is doused,” Bhargava said.
The redeveloped stretch is home to many godowns and showrooms that lack fire-safety measures. For instance, a narrow stairway next to the market’s HDFC bank branch houses two floors where a cable TV network operates without any fire extinguishing equipment. Similarly, a nearby godown storing bridal couture also lacks fire safety measures.
A bunch of shops function from basements, all of which do not have any fire safety equipment, traders operating the shops said.
The idea for the ambitious revamp of Chandni Chowk first emerged in 2004 but was finally completed in 2021. Even after the launch, the fire hydrants remained unused until the recent Marwari Market fire.
Firefighting infrastructure, once common in busy markets, is now rarely seen.
Former DFS Chief, S K Dheri said, “Earlier, there was consistent water supply, the population was lesser, but eventually population increased and people started using the fire hydrants for personal use. So, underground tanks were created to replace these fire hydrants… now big buildings, malls, railway and Metro stations have tanks from where the water can be drawn.”
A K Sharma, former DFS Chief, however, said that arrangements to store water have been made in multi-storey buildings and Metro stations.
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