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Navi Mumbai gets aerial lift to fight high-rise fires
After a spate of fire incidents in housing societies as well as industries, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has decided to buy 68-metre Bronto skylift and
After a spate of fire incidents in housing societies as well as industries, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has decided to buy 68-metre Bronto skylift and a robot to fight fires caused by chemicals, oil or cylinder blasts.
The move comes after a major fire incident at 21-storey Sea Homes apartments at Nerul on February 8.
PV Jadhav, chief fire officer NMMC, said, “As there are many high-rises in NMMC area, we need to be well-equipped to deal with fire mishaps. A budget of ₹36 crore has been allotted to upgrade the fire system. We will buy a bronto skylift, a powerful water sprinkler and a robot.”
Residents suggested educating people and companies so that buildings are fire compliant.
“More firefighting equipment is needed but the fire department needs to act against those who don’t comply with fire norms,” said Ravi Srivastava, a Kharghar-based activist.
“The fire audit is not regular in many buildings. There are many irregularities in many commercial as well as residential buildings but the civic body has ignored this,” he said.
As per norms, every housing society should renew its fire no-objection certificate (NOC) twice a year. Hospitals, hotels and pubs must renew it once a year.
Meanwhile, City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) has added a 70-metre-high Bronto skylift which can reach up to 22 floors. According to Cidco, this is the tallest Bronto skylift in Navi Mumbai.
Many high-rises have come up in newly developed nodes such as Kharghar and Kamothe and in case of any fire, it becomes difficult to douse the blaze with small bronto lifts. Cidco’s old skylift can reach up to 32 metres or eight floors of a building.
Arvind Mandke, chief fire officer of Cidco, said, “Staffers have to be trained to operate the high-tech skylift. We will start operating it after March 15.”
Sudhir Dani, a city-based activist, said, “The new skylift will help in dousing fires in high-rises but problem may arise in congested areas. We need vehicles which can easily enter narrow lanes. The existing fire-fighting system at Cidco is more than 30 years old and they need to be renewed,” said Dani.
