Industries in Pithampur have sought a second fire station and urgent infrastructure upgrades, citing a rise in fire incidents and inadequate emergency response for over 1,200 units operating in the industrial belt.
Insufficient Fire Response System
The Pithampur Audhyogik Sangathan said that the existing fire response system was insufficient for the scale and spread of industrial activity and needed immediate strengthening. The association has demanded at least two additional fire stations, one at the Smart Industrial Park and another in Sector 1, to ensure quicker response and better coverage during emergencies across the industrial zones.
"Every time there is a fire, tenders have to be called from Indore and Dhar, which delays response. This is one of the state's largest industrial hubs contributing significant revenue, and fire services are a basic necessity. The existing infrastructure needs an upgrade to match the growing number of industries," the association president Gautam Kothari said.
Growing Industrial Hub
Pithampur houses over 1,200 industrial units and employs more than one lakh workers, making timely emergency response critical for both asset protection and worker safety. Industry representatives said that with industrial expansion and higher density of units, risks have also increased.
"The recent fire at a hazardous waste management unit spread to four neighbouring industries, causing significant damage. Such incidents highlight the need for stronger fire safety infrastructure within the industrial area," a senior executive at a film packaging company in Pithampur Dinesh Mishra said.
Additional Infrastructure Needs
Industry bodies said apart from additional fire stations, there is also a need to upgrade internal infrastructure such as access roads, water availability and on-site safety systems. They added that faster response mechanisms will be key to preventing small fires from escalating into major industrial accidents.
