710 Fires in 2018 Already: Is Mumbai Compromising on Fire Safety?

Over 300 Mumbaikars have lost their lives in fires over the last six years. Seven among them were firefighters. A recent RTI query has highlighted the shocking numbers that raise an important question – is Mumbai compromising on fire safety norms?

There have been over 29,000 instances of fire across the city since 2012. A whopping 710 cases have been recorded till May 2018 alone. Be it slums, heritage buildings or skyscrapers, none of these buildings are completely fireproof. “Old buildings don’t come under the purview of Maharashtra Fire Prevention Act,” Prabhat Rahangdale, Chief Fire Officer, Mumbai, told The Quint.

“Only when they come to us for recommendations for renovation and retro fittings, the fire department comes into the picture.These buildings were built for residential purposes but over time that changed. They have no fire preventive measures and that is a huge challenge for the response agency.”

Prabhat Rahangdale, Chief Fire Officer, Mumbai

But old and heritage buildings are not the only ones that are susceptible to fires. The 13 June fire at Mumbai’s BeauMonde building in Prabhadevi exposed the difficulties faced by the fire brigade while extinguishing fires that occur at higher floors of skyscrapers.

“Wind velocity and deployment at such a height is a huge challenge while dousing fires at high rise buildings. But if all the installations like fire-pumps, sprinklers, risers, hose reel and detectors are in good working condition, then it really helps. Apart from installations, it’s important to educate occupants of the buildings and train security guards,” says Rahangdale.

While following fire safety norms is extremely important, urban planners believe the city’s infrastructure must be taken into account before issuing No Objection Certificates for construction in the first place. Urban planner Chandrashekhar Prabhu told The Quint:

“If you have permitted construction of a 60-storey building but your firefighting equipment can go up to only 30, what will fire fighters do? You don’t have the wherewithal but, yet you are giving permissions.”

What Does The Law Say?

The Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act of 2006 lays down a series of regulations to prevent fires in high-rise buildings. Here are a few important ones.

Short Circuits & Humidity

Experts say a number of the fires in Mumbai have been traced back to short circuits. “Most fires start from either kitchen areas or electrical short circuits,” says architect Santha Mattoo of Planet 3 Studios.

"If the circuits and wiring has become too old and needs to be changed, get the work done from a licensed electrical contractor who doesn’t do a shoddy job. There is nothing that is fire proof. If your kitchens and cables are safe, then that’s half the battle won already”.

While constantly increasing load on cables and lack of maintenance is the primary reason for short circuits, Mumbai’s humidity also plays its part.

“Mumbai has a humid atmosphere, any conduits which are exposed are subject to oxidization. While current passes through the wire, it comes into contact with the oxidising material which is deposited. This increases the resistance and because of this, causes a heating effect and if the heating goes beyond a certain limit, you have a short circuit. It is better to have a fire audit not just in the building but also inside flats. This should be regularly checked.”

Prabhat Rahangdale, Chief Fire Officer, Mumbai

Fire officials conduct surprise checks at commercial and residential buildings regularly. However, with the number of fires, it’s nearly impossible for them to follow up with the limited manpower at their disposal.

“We are constructing new fire stations, one will be ready next year and two more are being constructed. Apart from that we are now increasing the base of smaller fire stations so that more equipment, manpower can be appointed. We have 17 mini fire engines and have 780 firemen. 150 officers have been promoted and we are aiming to have more officers. As far as the requirement and demands are concerned, we are working on it.”

Prabhat Rahangdale, Chief Fire Officer, Mumbai

(This story has been reposted. It was originally published on 16 June 2018.)