Firemen say fire-fighting operations are now increasingly challenging in a city transformed by glass-fronted skyscrapers and ever-more densely populated slums. (Express File Photo)In the last three years, the Mumbai Fire Brigade has inspected only 6,142 buildings in Mumbai, issuing notices for violations to 3,026. Of these, only 36 cases have been taken up for prosecution under the Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006. While the poor rate of prosecution reflects on the fire brigade’s inability to make fire prevention a priority, firemen say fire-fighting operations are also now increasingly challenging in a city transformed by glass-fronted skyscrapers and ever-more densely populated slums.
After four senior fire department officials were killed in a fire in Kalbadevi in 2015, a fact-finding committee made a key recommendation — a separate cell should handle construction No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) and inspections to check for fire safety compliance. Firemen should focus on fire fighting and fire prevention, and not be burdened by administrative tasks, the committee said. Even earlier, in 2011, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had decided to form a cell of 99 fire officers to only inspect high-rises and check their fire-safety systems. The plan never materialised.
(Express File Photo)After the Kalbadevi fire, the idea of a separate cell was mooted, but again failed to take off. In 2017, after 14 people died in the Kamala Mills fire, for the third time, top officials discussed a separate cell in the fire brigade to handle non-firefighting responsibilities. Once again, it remained in discussion stage.
As a half-measure after the Kamala Mills tragedy, the fire brigade set up a ‘Fire Compliance Cell’ of 34 officers to conduct inspections. But this too hit a hurdle — the compliance officers refused to carry out inspections and issue notices to violators because they don’t meet the mandated qualifications. The deadlock in that matter continues. Meanwhile, with two fire department officials arrested following the Kamala Mills fire, fire officers are wary of being a signing authority on inspection reports.
Officials say the appointment of a separate ‘Fire Compliance Officer’ will be finalised soon. Deputy Chief Fire Officer (Technical) R A Choudhary said, “We have prepared a proposal of a separate fire compliance cell. Once the number of officials to be appointed in the cell is finalised, it will start functioning.”
(Express File Photo)But a series of other important reforms, recommended by the Kalbadevi fire fact-finding committee, remain neglected. One is to recreate the post of a Joint Chief Fire Officer especially to deal with high-rises. A separate cell to deal with bird or animal rescue or oil spills is another. None of these ideas have materialised, leaving fire-fighters burdened by non-fire activities. Every year, the fire brigade receives 10,000 calls for bird and animal rescue. In 2017, over 275 complaints related to oil spills were registered. As many as 5,714 complaints were about tree or branch collapses.
In 2013, fireman Umesh Parvate died during the rescue of a crow in Masjid Bunder. In January 2017, another fireman Rajendra Bhojane died of electrocution while rescuing a crow entangled in a tree near high-tension wires in Mahalaxmi. “We are in talks with SPCA Hospital in Parel and the zoo, but there is no solution to these problems,” said a senior official.
Other recommendations of various committees to improve the operations of the fire brigade remain on paper too.
In 2001, a cylinder blast in Bhuleshwar killed 24, and an investigation report recommended relocating the illegal jewellery-making units from the area. The recommendation was repeated by the fact-finding committee after the Kalbadevi fire in 2015. Nothing has changed on the ground.
Other suggestions by the 2015 fact-finding committee remain neglected too — an internal dispute redressal system, regular health check-ups for firemen, a retired defence or paramilitary personnel appointed for capacity building of fire fighters, debriefing after big disasters for better documentation of cases. None of these measures has been implemented.
Tomorrow: Changing city, new challenges
