With fire incidents rising at an alarming rate, corporators want Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) to be well armed to deal with major blazes across the city. A Shiv Sena corporator has now demanded that helicopters be added to MFB’s armoury.
Shiv Sena corporator Yamini Jadhav has tabled a notice of motion in the civic general body meeting, in which she has said that well-equipped helicopters should be provided to MFB to prevent human and financial loss.
Ms Jadhav said that skyscrapers and highrises are coming up in Mumbai in large numbers and if a fire breaks out in such highrises, the fire brigade tries to control it with the available resources. However, their efforts fall short due to lack of tall ladders and other high-tech equipment.
“This results in colossal loss of human lives and property and important documents are also gutted in such fires. To prevent this, the Mumbai Fire Brigade should have well-equipped helicopters, so that fires in highrises can be controlled quickly and damage can be minimised,” said Ms Jadhav.
Mumbai presently has more than 2,000 highrises with many more in pipeline. Of the 17 aerial and hydraulic platforms, the MFB has only two snorkels — 90-metre snorkel, which can reach up to the 30th floor of a highrise building, and the other can reach a height of 70 metres i.e. up to the 22nd floor.
“The notice of motion would be tabled before the civic house and if approved, would be sent to concerned authorities for further action,” said a civic official.
According to the civic data, everyday, an average of 13 fires break out in Mumbai, aggregating an average of 400 fire incidents every month.