Besa’s New Crisis: 1 Fire Tender For Over 1 Lakh

Nagpur: The rapidly expanding residential areas under Besa-Pipla Nagar Panchayat are increasingly facing concerns over inadequate firefighting infrastructure, with only a single fire tender reportedly catering to a population now estimated at over one lakh. The issue has once again come under spotlight following Sunday's major fire incident, where the lone tender allegedly exhausted its water supply quickly and had to depend on assistance from Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) fire units.Residents and local sources say the situation reflects a growing mismatch between Besa's urban growth and its emergency response infrastructure. Once considered a developing outskirts locality, Besa and surrounding areas have witnessed massive residential expansion over past decade, with numerous housing societies, apartment complexes and commercial establishments emerging across the region. However, despite the growth in population and infrastructure, emergency facilities have not expanded proportionately.Sources claim that official records continue to reflect Besa's population at around 10,000, based on Census 2011 figures. Residents argue this number no longer reflects ground reality, with present population believed to have crossed one lakh due to rapid urbanisation and large-scale residential development."We are living in high-rise buildings and densely populated societies, but emergency facilities have remained almost same for years," said a resident of a housing society near Besa road. "When a major fire occurs, every minute matters. Depending on one vehicle for such a huge population is extremely worrying."A minor ruckus also broke out on Sunday after the fire tender had to go back to refill. Besa Pipla CO Bharat Nandanwar said the ruckus was caused by some anti-social elements who wanted to worsen the situation. "Currently, we have a 4,500 litre fire tender, and it is not enough for the population. However, we have sent a proposal that we want a 16,000 litre large fire tender to better tackle such situations. Besa is a growing area, and we have a couple more upgrades planned to strengthen our fire-fighting infrastructure," he said.