After Mumbai, Bengaluru gets 90-m ladder for rescue ops

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai dedicated the 90-m aerial ladder platform which enables fire and emergency services personnel to fight fire and rescue people up to 90 m and about 30 floors, on Thursday. The CM said the ladder has not only added great strength to the department but will also contribute to the city’s development.

The city so far had a 50-m aerial ladder and now it’s the second city after Mumbai to have a 90-m aerial ladder. The equipment was much needed after the infamous Carlton Tower tragedy that claimed nine lives and left around 70 injured in 2010.  

After dedicating its service and flagging off  ‘Green Deepavali’, a public awareness campaign, at Vidhana Soudha, Bommai said such aerial ladders are essential in all metro cities around the world to give permission to construct high-rise buildings.

“Bengaluru is growing at a fast pace, vertically too. Hence, such a ladder is much needed. Having it is as important as having fire safety norms and measures for a developed city,” he said. The ladder is imported from Finland at a cost of Rs 31.19 crore. “Efforts were on to import it from the last two-and-a-half years. Due to Covid-19 pandemic, the production was affected in Finland and there was a delay in the procurement,” Bommai said, adding that steps are being taken to strengthen the fire force and SDRF.

Meanwhile, he expressed displeasure over projecting Bengaluru in poor light during the recent floods. “There was flooding only in two constituencies and not in the other 26 Assembly segments. But it was projected as if the whole city had submerged. The government is capable of solving any problem in the city. It is important to present facts correctly,” the chief minister added.