Mumbai: Although Mumbai sees rapid development in infrastructure and real estate, the ground reality remains that the metropolis’s fire safety record is pathetic.
The recent massive fires in commercial and residential buildings have once again raised questions over indifference by both the fire brigade and citizens towards the crucial issue of fire safety. Many crucial provisions of the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act (MFPLSM) 2006 either are not being implemented or violated with impunity.
Fire Prevention Cell Only On Paper
Officers say that the ‘Prevention Cell’ of the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) exists only on paper and the existing station officers are assigned as prevention officers.
“After the Kamala Mills fire in 2018, in which 22 persons were killed, the then Chief Fire Officer PS Rahangdale announced the formation of the fire prevention cell. However, in reality, out of the total 33 fire stations, 24 station officers were given additional duty as prevention officers, along with a jeep for carrying out inspections,” said an MFB officer on the condition of anonymity. Separate fire prevention officers were not appointed in any of the fire stations.
“If the BMC or state administration was serious about forming a prevention cell, there should have been a separate office, staff and infrastructure. The proposal was also drafted, but never fructified,” he added.
‘Senior Officers Avoid Stringent Inspections’
Prakash Devdas, president of the Fire Officers Association said, “The MFPLSM Act has divided the fire services into the fire prevention division and fire fighting division. The prevention division of MFB exists only for namesake. As per the act, officers for inspection should be separate. The fact is, there are numerous illegal constructions where even a vehicle cannot enter, but the structures have Fire NOCs. The senior officers do not want stringent inspections, which will expose the ground reality and corruption. It is the junior officers who are made scapegoats after a disaster takes place, blaming them for not conducting regular inspections.”
Corruption and Lack of Accountability
“Many contractors who provide fire fighting equipments to the buildings are also involved in corruption. In several cases, the fire extinguishers do not work. There is no accountability if training is provided to the occupants on using the fire fighting equipments,” Devdas added.
Currently, seven posts of the additional fire officers are lying vacant and the MFB needs at least 250 more officers to reach its minimum required strength. Devdas said, “Instead of carrying out inspections, awareness activities among the public, training sessions and other jobs which are essential for fire safety, officers are busy in administrative work.”
Officers Burdened With Administrative Work
A senior MFB officer said, “We work more as peons and clerks than fire safety officers. The BMC’s health department and inspectors are equally responsible for ensuring fire prevention by regularly inspecting for hazardous items, illegal constructions etc. But there is no accountability and only passing on the responsibilities.”
Majority Of Buildings Flout Safety Norms
Meanwhile, chief fire officer of MFB Ravindra Ambulgekar said, “Out of the total buildings in Mumbai, only 10 to 20% submit Form B (the six-monthly certificate on maintenance of fire prevention and safety measures). Licensing agencies have been appointed for the same. The buildings are also required by law to carry out an electrical audit every two years. Most fires are due to an electrical short circuit. Even if the societies/builders follow these two norms, 90% of the fire incidents will not occur.”
However, most of the housing societies do not bother to have fire audit done. Also, the common passages of most buildings are cluttered with wooden shoe racks and other material which hampers movement of fire fighters in case of emergencies.
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Electrical Short Circuits Major Cause Of Fires
Last year, the Fire and Security Association of India said that in the thickly populated city of Mumbai, a staggering 70 to 80 percent of fire incidents are attributed to electrical short-circuits. In many cases, especially in high-rise buildings, the extent of damage was exacerbated by non-functional firefighting equipment, often the result of poor maintenance. Mumbai recorded as many as 227 more fire incidents in 2024 compared to 2023.
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