The new additional municipal commissioner, Suresh Kakani, has instructed the fire officials to conduct specific drives to identify fire prone locations where the damage could be tremendous
Suresh Kakani
In an effort to reduce fire accidents, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) fire department has decided to list out vulnerable spots in the city and take preventive measures. The officials will also give the citizens basic fire fighting training as they would be the first respondents in case of a mishap.
The new additional municipal commissioner, Suresh Kakani, has instructed the fire officials to conduct specific drives to identify fire prone locations where the damage could be tremendous.
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To avoid future accidents, the fire officials have been asked to examine all the past incidents to understand the causes. They will also examine the narrow lanes of commercial areas housing several hotels that use flammable materials, especially in Dharavi, Bandra East and Khairani road in Sakinaka. Kalbadevi and Bhendi Bazar that are also are prone to massive damage in case of fire will also be vetted. Licenses of people who run business in these areas will also be checked for eligibility.
The BMC wants also more citizens from these areas to learn the primary measures for dousing a blaze. Recently, the city witnessed a huge fire that spread because of chemicals presence in a crowded area of Khairani road. Two people were killed in the mishap and the fire fighters were able to douse the blaze only after a full night of operation. Also on Monday, a fire had broken out in the godown of a building in Kamathipura where eight people were injured.
The new additional commissioner wants the fire department to take a cue from such incidents and ensure that the vulnerable areas are identified soon and take precautionary measures.
"It is important to know about the vulnerable spots and give training to the citizens there as they would be the first respondents in case of any disaster. The officials will also be tasked to conduct regular checks on fire compliance in these areas," Kakani said.
The fire department has inspected a total of 2,486 building structures to check if the fire fighting systems were operational. Of these a total of 208 buildings were sent notices. They also audited 10,800 hotels and restaurants for fire compliance and took action against 6,282 for flouting various fire norms.
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