Mumbai faces delay in construction of new fire stations; only one expected to be operational by end of year

Mumbai: On February 4, the BMC had announced its plan to build five new fire stations for the year 2023-24 in its budget. The fire station at Thakur village in Kandivali is expected to be operational by December 2023. However, the fire stations proposed at Chembur, Kanjurmarg, Santacruz, and Andheri are likely to take an additional 2 to 3 years to complete.

Currently, Mumbai has 35 fire stations, but according to the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB), it needs an additional 60 fire stations to cater to the city's topography and growing population. The Development Plan for 2014-2034 reserved space for 26 new fire stations, but construction has been delayed due to space constraints. As a result, there have been around 4,500 fire incidents annually in Mumbai.

BMC has built 19 mini fire stations

To improve response time and enhance the effectiveness of rescue operations, the BMC has built 19 mini fire stations under six fire command centres. Moreover, the MFB is acquiring fire bikes to facilitate rapid response and easy access to congested areas. Meanwhile, construction work for the fire station at Thakur Village in Kandivali East is ongoing. Another fire station on LBS Road in Kanjur Marg West is also currently in progress and is expected to be completed by next year.

Proposal for three fire stations still pending

The BMC is facing delays in the construction of new fire stations in Mumbai. While work on the fire station at Thakur Village in Kandivali is underway and another fire station on LBS road in Kanjur Marg West is expected to be completed next year, proposals for fire stations at Juhu Tara Road, Santacruz, and Andheri are still awaiting permission from the mechanical engineering department. The location for a proposed fire station at Mahul Road in Chembur had to be changed due to the impact on 128 trees. As a result, the city may have to wait another 2 to 3 years for these new fire stations. The city currently has only 35 fire stations, but needs 60 to 70 more to meet the demands of its growing population and infrastructure. The BMC has allocated Rs. 227.07 crores in its budget for the financial year 2023-24 to upgrade the MFB and improve its capacity building efforts.