Those opting to live in high-rises above 14 floors in Mira Road are once again on God’s mercy in case of a fire. Barely two months after the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) inducted a 68-meter tall turntable ladder (TTL) into its fire-fighting fleet, the multi-faceted lifesaving equipment will soon be shipped back to its manufacturer in Germany.
The TTL which was inaugurated amidst much fanfare by former chief minister and leader of opposition Devendra Fadanavis last month, is believed to have met with technical snags in its software component due to damages incurred during transit from Germany to India.
“We have duly informed the manufacturers Magirus GmbH about the technical snag in the equipment which will be shipped back to Germany in a few days for necessary repair, replacement, and testing work. Since we have already paid the custom and import duty charges, the entire to and fro shipping charges will have to be borne by the company. The company has responded positively to us via email. Once the TTL is satisfactorily re-delivered our personnel will be trained to operate the system,” said chief fire officer Dr. Prakash Borade.
However, the process was bound to take a couple of more months, even as several high-rises are on the verge of completion, some even occupied in the twin-city.
More than six years after instructions from the Directorate of Maharashtra Fire Services, the MBMC had finally set the ball rolling to procure its tallest firefighting ladder in 2019. After much delay, the Germany-based manufacturer was finally shortlisted to provide the TTL carrying an estimated price tag of around Rs. 16 crore (including duties).
It was claimed that the TTL could reach till 24 floors and had capability of rotating 360 degrees at any angle of elevation without any reduction of load capacity of the cage. Moreover, the TTL boasted of microprocessor-based electro-hydraulically controlled, permitting precise and easy operations under the most difficult conditions, with ample reserve strength and stability to withstand the huge pressure of wind at dizzying heights.