The BMC intends to improve Mumbai’s emergency response capabilities by building five additional fire stations throughout the city. On the Mumbai Coastal Road (South), two of these stations will be situated to guarantee quicker and more effective services in case of an emergency. Rs. 261.72 crores has been allotted by the city council to improve the Mumbai Fire Brigade’s (MFB) infrastructure and capacities.
The MFB is essential in responding to emergencies, including building collapses and fires. However, instead of increasing to Rs. 232 crores, the budget for improving its infrastructure in the fiscal year 2024–2025 was cut to Rs. 159 crores. In order to improve the MFB’s fleet of firefighting apparatus and build new fire stations, the BMC has doubled the budgetary allotment for the next fiscal year.
At the moment, the city is home to 19 minor and 35 large fire stations. New fire stations have been built in Thakur Village, Kandivali East, and the station at LBS Road, Kanjur Marg, is almost finished. “Last year, we planned to build additional fire stations at Tilak Nagar, Mahul Road in Chembur, and Juhu Tara Road in Santacruz West. However, a senior fire official stated that work would soon begin because funds for the construction of these additional fire stations were allotted in the next fiscal year.
To guarantee prompt access to emergency locations, two new fire stations will be constructed at Poonam Chambers and Amarsons-Tata Garden along Worli’s coastline route. Furthermore, by March 2025, the MFB is expected to obtain four hydraulic platforms outfitted with cutting-edge high-rise firefighting technology. 35 smoke exhausters and blowers, four support vehicles with high-pressure water pumps and illumination, six robotic life-saving buoys, and eleven First Respond Fire Engines with cutting-edge equipment are presently being purchased.
Additionally, according to the budget for fiscal 2025–2026, the MFB intends to implement new firefighting technologies like drones and the Compressed Air Foam System (CAFS), which will be especially helpful in battling fires in high-rise buildings where traditional firefighting techniques might not be as successful.
Source: The Free Press Journal
