The fire in an old low-rise building in Nagpada on Thursday, which claimed the life of a woman and left two others injured, brought to the fore the risks that thousands of Mumbaikars are living with.
How many cessed buildings are there?
There are an estimated 16,000 cessed buildings in the city, and many more buildings that came up before 1980 and which house lakhs of people.
Are they fire-safe?
While sophisticated fire-fighting equipment is installed in the new and gleaming high-rises in the city, the old buildings are not even equipped with basic fire-fighting system such as fire extinguishers, fire alarms and smoke detectors.
The only option before the residents of these old buildings is to prevent fire, say firefighters.
Why do old buildings not have safety equipment?
A fire department official told dna, "These buildings are so old that most of them can't take the load of heavy fire-fighting equipment. If they try to install such equipment, the structural stability of the building would be affected."
What does the law state?
Even the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006, specifies installation of fire safety equipment only in those buildings where it is feasible. "But given the dilapidated conditions of most buildings, it is difficult to provide them with modern fire safety equipment, as they won't be able to take the load," the official said.
Is there any hope?
The only ray of hope for such buildings is the upcoming fire prevention cell which will comprise 99 officials, who will be dedicated to the job of inspecting fire safety of buildings in the city. "Once the cell becomes operational, we will be able to inspect all the buildings in an area, even those which are old, and we will be able to suggest adequate fire safety measures for them, depending on the condition of the structure," another fire official said.
Currently, recruitment for the cell are on. The appointment of fire safety cell personnel has already been delayed by over a year.
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