Mumbai: BMC bans rockets and aerial firecrackers until Nov 25 after Diwali fire incidents keep firefighters on edge

Firecrackers triggered 137 of the 142 fire calls received by the Mumbai Fire Brigade on Diwali night November 8 setting off blazes across the city and putting emergency services under pressure Two women were injured while major fires in Dongri Marol and Vidyavihar took firefighters up to nine hours to bring under control The spate of incidents prompted the BMC to ban rockets and other aerial firecrackers across Mumbai until November 25The aftermath of the fire at Haji Kasam Chawl in Dongri which took firefighters 9 hours to extinguishThe ban which came into force on November 9 covers public and private premises within BMC limits including residential buildings terraces rooftops balconies courtyards parking areas and slum settlements The restriction specifically targets rockets and similar skyflying fireworks other firecrackers remain subject to existing laws and court directionsMumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde also appealed to citizens to celebrate responsibly and avoid bursting crackers near residential buildings and on footpathsQuestionable enforcementDespite restrictions imposed by Bombay HC on bursting firecrackers in public places violations continued during Diwali Police officials said they could not register FIRs against people found bursting crackers in public spaces and instead warned them and asked them to disperse Police sources however claimed enforcement was difficult as groups of people allegedly accompanied by local political leaders confronted and intimidated personnel against taking actionShops and huts gutted in the fire at Haji Kasam Chawl PicsAshish RajeA senior police official said ldquoAll our police personnel were on the ground and we ensured nobody burst firecrackers in public places We allowed it after 10 pm for two hours but other than those 2 hours nobody was allowed People were free to enjoy their Diwali and firecrackers inside their building compound but then that was itrdquolsquoAwareness only way aheadrsquoldquoNo matter how much you appeal to people if bursting crackers is part of their tradition they will continue to do so Awareness is the only way forwardEven today I tell my family to keep windows closed move flammable materials away from windows and ensure that no fuel or spare cylinders are stored on balconies A preDiwali awareness programme is essential to prevent such accidentsThe aftermath of the major fire at Haji Kasam Chawl in Dongri which took firefighters nine hours to extinguishHousing societies should ensure that their sprinklers fire pumps and extinguishers are in working condition before the festivities We cannot blame Diwali alone adequate safety measures must also be in place During this period 10 to 20 fires can occur simultaneously keeping fire brigade personnel stretchedrdquo said Dr Prabhat S Rahangdale former chief fire officer Mumbai Fire BrigadeMajor fires keep firefighters busyThree major fires tested the citys emergency response on Diwali nightDongri Firefighters took nine hours to extinguish a blaze at Haji Kasam Chawl on Dr Maheshwari RoadMarol A garage fire on Military Road took around five hours to bring under controlVidyavihar A blaze at Skyline Vida a 10storey commercial building near Jolly Gymkhana spread from the seventh to the 10th floor Firefighters took six hours to extinguish itNo injuries were reported in these three major fires in the initial account However two women were injured in separate firecrackerrelated incidents across the cityIn Thane a major fire at the 17storey Carlyle Building in Raheja Gardens spread from the seventh to the 14th floor Around 40 to 50 residents were rescued after being affected by heavy smokeThose rescued reportedly included a senior citizen dependent on BiPAP oxygen support Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the site to oversee emergency operationsWhat the new ban coversThe November 9 order prohibits rockets and other aerial firecrackers across BMC limits until November 25 2026gtgt Residential buildings and premisesgtgt Terraces and rooftopsgtgt Balconies and courtyardsgtgt Parking areasgtgt Slum settlementsgtgt Other public and private premisesThe order directs police BMC ward officials and the fire brigade to ensure enforcementPersonal account The day firecrackers changed my lifeDouglas Saldanha caretaker of Indiarsquos tallest fully decorated natural Christmas treeldquoI was about 12 years old when a firecracker nearly changed the course of my life It was All Soulsrsquo Day in MIG Adarsh Nagar My parents had gone to work and my grandmother was asleep Our flat was on the ground floor I climbed out of the window to join my friends bursting crackersMy pockets were full of Laxmi bombs Like many children we collected crackers that failed to burst opened them gathered the powder on paper and set it alight to create a makeshift fountain We did not realise that one unexploded bomb was still burning slowly When it finally exploded it set off the other crackers in my pocket I suffered severe burns and was in shock I remember running and jumping desperately trying to put out the flamesA friend watching from the first floor later said ldquoIrsquove never seen Douglas dance so much in my liferdquo I was not dancing I was fighting for my life I was embarrassed to lower my shorts at Mrs DrsquoSouzarsquos house because she had three young daughters I begged her not to tell my mother who had strictly warned me against playing with firecrackers But the truth came out and I was rushed to hospitalThe doctor told me I was fortunate that the burns ran vertically along my thigh Had they gone horizontally my manhood could have been at risk Every Diwali we play with fire as though nothing can go wrong A delayed blast a pocket full of unexploded crackers a careless throw or a rocket aimed at someone can turn a celebration into a tragedyAs children we even had rocket fights firing rockets horizontally from one terrace to another Today I shudder to think what could have happened One wrong angle can cause burns eye injuries permanent disability or death Firecrackers pollute the air and create noise that affects everyoneLoud explosions can disturb sleep trigger anxiety and damage hearing I share this story not because I am proud of it but because I survived it My burns healed but the memory never left me Diwali should illuminate our homes not hospital wards It should bring families together not send children to burn units Let us celebrate with light love and responsibility mdash not with fire in our pockets and danger in our handsrdquoResidents speak More firecracker vendors on the streetsVaibhav Rege secretary Shivaji Park ALMldquoIt is a given that firecracker vendors are increasing year on year At first only designated stores sold firecrackers Now those that sell kandils also keep a few handy In fact I also saw a cosmetic store at Dadar market sell firecrackers ldquoSince many people donrsquot want to shell out too much for crackers roadside vendors licensed or not end up with a lot of business We have seen many new ones on Ranade Road and near the Dadar railway station roadrdquoNicholas Almeida Irla residentldquoEvery nook and corner seems to have another firecracker vendor They are not largescale but smaller vendors have appeared all over Sahar and Santacruz and I am sure they have large godowns even if they have smaller storefronts You see them across the station road as wellrdquoHallis Francis Bandra East residentldquoThe BMC deadlines and the police deadlines are not being followed at all Firecrackers are all over the place a few buildings in Bandra East are also catching fire because of the firecrackers People are simply not listening ldquoThe number of street vendors has increased near our area This year we have 34 near vendors and people are bursting crackers near hospitals and cancer care homesrdquoPublic figures react Calls for accountabilityVivek Ranjan Agnihotri filmmakerAgnihotri said in a social media post which was later deleted addressed to the Mayor that an errant rocket had set fire to a sofa on his balcony He said his dogs alerted family in time and the fireresistant fabric helped prevent a potentially serious accidentldquoWho doesnrsquot love celebrating Diwali But errant rockets are not a cultural pride they are a fire hazard Our great culture doesnrsquot permit us to put innocent lives homes and property at riskrdquo he wrote He called for stricter enforcement and accountabilityAaditya Thackeray Shiv Sena UBT leaderldquoThere has to be some official word and action from the police and administration on the firecracker rockets flying randomly into peoplersquos homes and setting things on fire Cities like Mumbai and Thane have seen some horrible incidents over the past 2 daysrdquo Thackeray wrote on social mediaExperts speak Firecrackers leave animals injured and distressedDr Priti Sathe founder Himirsquos Bark Clinic Vikhroli and trustee RAWWSathe said her clinic was witnessing an increase in cases involving pets wildlife and community animals compared with previous yearsWildlife and community animals including cats and dogs were being brought in with direct injuries such as burns as well as injuries caused while fleeing noise and smoke These included vehicle accidents fights with other animals and displacement from their territoriesPets and birds were also experiencing pollution and soundrelated problems including allergies infections and loss of appetite due to distress She said newborn animals were experiencing the noise for the first time while others appeared to be triggered by memories of previous episodesFirecrackers pose a public hazardSumaira Abdulali founder Awaaz FoundationldquoThere is a reason that firecrackers are handled by the explosives department of the police and not the law and order police Some products being sold under the garb of firecrackers are actual bombs of lower intensity and are a severe public hazardldquoBe it noise light or air pollution firecrackers and especially those that are being burst irresponsibly can lead to safety hazards for a large number of people as we saw with the fires across the city over the past few daysldquoAfter previous chemical testing with private labs the Awaaz Foundation has also found that the crackers are not disclosing their true chemical contents on the packaging Many donrsquot have scannable QR codes and some donrsquot have QR codes at allldquoFirecrackers should be presented as a showcase where the common public can gather and enjoy the celebrations as viewers while the crackers are actually being burst at a responsible distancerdquoThe numbers A sharp rise in firecrackerrelated incidentsDiwali Total fire Firecrackerrelatedperiod callsincidents 2024 262 802025 289 1132026 142 137 Nov 8 aloneEmergency numbersMumbai Fire Brigade 101BMC Disaster Management 1916Dedicated emergency lines 9076333101 9076333102 9076333103 9076333104 9076333105