Mumbai, November 14, 2026: The Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens' Association (LOCA) has launched an online petition seeking the immediate commencement of construction of a fire station on a plot reserved for the facility in the Chitrakoot area of Versova.
The campaign has garnered 2,221 verified signatures till Saturday night, reflecting residents' growing concern over the absence of a dedicated fire station in the Oshiwara–Versova–Lokhandwala belt.
The urgency of the demand has intensified following the death of a liftman on the 17th floor of a high-rise building in Andheri West on November 7. The incident has once again brought the spotlight on the proposed fire station at Chitrakoot Ground in Ambivli, which has reportedly been pending for nearly 35 years.
Residents say the incident underlines the need for a strategically located fire station in the area to ensure faster emergency response and strengthen fire safety in the rapidly growing neighbourhood.
Through the petition addressed to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner, residents from Versova, Seven Bungalows, Yari Road and Lokhandwala–Oshiwara have urged the civic body to take up construction without further delay.
They have also sought clarity on the project's present status, reasons for the delay and a definite timeline for its commencement and completion.
Residents Flag Growing Fire Safety Concerns
The association has pointed to the rapid growth of the neighbourhood, with an increasing number of high-rise buildings, residential complexes and commercial establishments, arguing that a strategically located fire station is essential to ensure timely emergency response. It said delays in reaching fire-affected buildings could result in avoidable loss of lives and property.
The petition also calls for the reserved plot to be used exclusively for the proposed fire station and urges the BMC and Mumbai Fire Brigade to take the necessary administrative and technical steps to expedite the project.
Ameet Satam Seeks Six-Month Deadline
The residents' campaign comes amid renewed political pressure over the delay. Mumbai BJP president and Andheri West MLA Ameet Satam has written to BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide, demanding that the land-related hurdles be resolved and the project cleared within six months.
In his letter, Satam flagged land which is reserved for a fire station under the sanctioned Revised Development Plan. He said the government-owned land had been leased to a party that was expected to construct the fire station and hand it over to the BMC, but the facility had not been built.
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Satam alleged that the leaseholder was commercially exploiting the land for events and had erected sheds, structures and domes on the premises. He has asked the civic body to take action against unauthorised structures and ensure that the plot is put to its designated public purpose.
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