BMC’s move to delete Versova fire station reservation back in spotlight after Runwal Tower fire

MUMBAI: The death of a liftman in the fire at Runwal Tower has once again brought into focus the absence of a dedicated fire station in the Versova-Lokhandwala-Oshiwara belt

MUMBAI: The death of a liftman in the fire at Runwal Tower has once again brought into focus the absence of a dedicated fire station in the Versova-Lokhandwala-Oshiwara belt. With residents alleging that it took the Mumbai Fire Brigade 30 to 45 minutes to reach the high-rise, the BMC’s move to delete an existing reservation for a fire station in Versova and its tardiness in constructing a proposed fire station at Chitrakoot Grounds is once more in the spotlight.

Residents of the 33-storey towers at Runwal Tower said the fire brigade’s response was delayed by difficulties in locating the building, traffic and the inability of the fire tenders and ladder to reach the affected apartment on the 17th floor of C wing. “Eventually, the firemen had to climb the stairs with their equipment,” said Gaurav Maini, a resident of C tower. “There was a lot of smoke in the staircase, which also delayed the operations.”

Maini told HT that his wife, who had called the fire control room, provided the building’s location and nearby landmarks, but the operator kept asking for police station jurisdiction and then just disconnected the phone. In a post on X, his wife reiterated this, adding, “Emergency response is extremely poor.”

The proposal concerns Plot 1103-A (Part) in K West ward, where 1,143.16 sq m reserved for a fire station and 2,296 sq m reserved for a police chowky are proposed to be deleted and converted to residential use. The proposal, which was placed before the BMC’s Improvement Committee in August 2026, is being processed under Section 37(1) of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act. Following strong objections from corporators, the committee sent it back to the administration for reconsideration in September.

The move has raised questions about the BMC’s priorities at a time when Versova, Lokhandwala, Oshiwara and Seven Bungalows continue to depend on fire stations located outside the suburb of Andheri. The nearest operational fire stations are at Goregaon and at Irla in Parle West, with traffic congestion further affecting response times.

The proposal to delete the Versova fire station reservation is even more contentious, given the non-implementation of another plan to establish a fire station at Chitrakoot Grounds in the area. Despite the need for a dedicated firefighting facility, the BMC has failed to develop and operationalise the proposed station over the years.

Residents have previously cited a fire near Versova Metro station on June 11, when fire engines reportedly took around 45 minutes to arrive. The fire gutted a seventh-floor apartment and allegedly caused losses of approximately ₹3 crore. Residents also claim that fire tenders responding to incidents in Oshiwara can take at least an hour to reach the location.

Dhaval Shah of the Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens’ Association said the absence of a nearby fire station was a longstanding concern. “For Lokhandwala and Oshiwara, our nearest fire brigade is at Irla, almost at the border of Andheri,” he said. “During peak hours, precious time is lost because it takes so long for the first fire engine to reach our area.”

Shah has also pointed out that rapid redevelopment and the proposed Versova-Dahisar Link Road could significantly increase the area’s population and traffic, making a local fire station even more critical. According to the 2011 Census, the population of Versova alone was over 3,76,000 back then.