Torrential rains in Mumbai are creating havoc for the residents but at least now the Mumbaikars don't have to worry about a fire brigade not reaching an accident spot on time. Mumbai has seen the most intensive fire tragedies in the last six months.?
Starting from December 29 last year, when a massive fire burnt Kamala Mills Compound to ashes, a ceremonial lounge at terminal 1B of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Beaumonde Towers housing Bollywood Actress Deepika Padukone's residence was also caught in flames.?
TV Producer, teenagers and infants were charred to death due to lack of a prompt fire evacuation program. The latest fire in a building on Charni road that left one person dead might be close to the 295th fire accident in Mumbai in last 60 days alone, according to data obtained from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), news 18 reported.
We take a look at the plausible reasons behind these tragedies-?
Failure of compliance or total absence of fire safety norms in residential buildings of Mumbai has led to blazing fires in various places. Lack of adequate infrastructure and equipment like fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide (a lethal gas that is also called the 'invisible killer') alarms are not installed in the majority of the constructions.?
The fire safety code makes it mandatory that each and every building is equipped with emergency apparatus. The leniency of both the real estate agents, as well as government authorities, has led to major fires in the financial capital.?
The entertainment capital has taken over the reigns of textile and financial development from Surat and shelters not only the iconic cinema production studios but Bollywood superstars, Mumbai locals, beaches and a population of 12.4 million people according to the 2011 census.?
With the advent of the metro network and migration of public in search of jobs, Mumbai is India's most cluttered city. In order to match up to the pressure of being a high-class city, swanky pubs, hotels, bistros, fancy housing arenas and shopping centres have taken a toll on lack of safety measures.
Space has always been a constraint. This eventually led to narrower streets and heavy traffic. Abundant rains aggravate the already deteriorating situation. In such a scenario, tight vigilance and surveillance is needed to protect the fast-paced city from turning into smoke.?
Civic bodies and fire regimes will have to incur more expenditure on hydraulic ladders, fire lifts and extinguishers to douse the fire as quickly as possible. Also, illegal construction activities should be suspended as they ultimately lead to institutional failures. In the case of Kamala Mills compound tragedy, both '1 Above' and 'Mojos Bistro' were operating without proper establishments like proper emergency exits and working fire safety apparatus. Flying embers from a hookah and flammable material like tarpaulin sheets were stated to be the primary source of the accident.?
Convenient issuance of a Non-Objection Certificate to property owners without proper verification of fire safety norms is another reason behind the rising incidents.?
A multilateral system that involves proper planning, staffing, funding and training can only save city housing crores of people otherwise manmade and natural disasters can turn Mumbai into a wasteland.