HL: Fire fighters douse fire without safety gear, ladder
Sudhanshu Athalye
The blaze that broke out on the fifteenth floor of an under-construction building Lodha Aqua by Lodha builders on Ghodbunder Road in the wee hours on Friday also brought to light the recklessness of the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) with regard to its fire brigade unit.
Nearly 15 jawans, without a medical insurance cover, fire-resistant suit or ladder, managed to douse the fire within 2 hours.
Classo Fernandez, chief fire officer, MBMC, said, "Despite the lack of proper infrastructure, we managed to douse the fire. The jawans literally risked their lives as they did not have a ladder, fire resistant suitor or even medical insurance cover. Though we have received two vehicles for fire fighting engines, the process of floating tenders to build chassis is on since the past three months."
"We are working without proper instruments and insurance cover. The MBMC authorities should not have allowed the construction of towers with more than 10 floors as we don't have ladders to reach to such heights in the event of an emergency. The two fire engines that are being used currently too are on the verge of being scrapped as they are close to ten years old," he added.
Begging to differ, Shivmurthy Naik, commissioner, MBMC, said, "We will try to provide an insurance cover to fire fighters at the earliest. But the process of floating tenders came to a standstill due to the invoking of code of conduct for two elections. Being aware that our fire brigade lacks the infrastructure, I haven't granted permission for any ten-plus floor tower."
When asked about the threat to the life of fire fighters, avoiding the details he said, "Administration is taking care of them."
s_sudhanshu@dnaindia.net