Speak up Mumbai: What should be done to reduce fire breakouts?

In the past week, the city has witnessed a spate of fire incidents. The biggest of them was Wednesday's blaze at the Employees State Insurance Scheme (ESIC) Kamgar Hospital in MIDC Marol in Andheri in which 11 people were killed.

The same day, around 11pm, a minor fire was reported at a shop in the basement of the five-star Trident Hotel at Nariman Point in South Mumbai. A half hour later, there was a fire at a Chinese restaurant in Mazgaon, and hours after that, the Doordarshan Building in Worli caught fire.

No casualties were reported other than from the fire at the ESIC hospital.

The city reports around 5,000 fire incidents a year. The gravity of the situation can be gauged from the fact that 309 such incidents have been reported between December 1 and 20 alone.

The perception is that authorities such as Mumbai Fire Brigade and MIDC Fire brigade are not doing their job of implementing the Maharashtra Fire Prevention & Life Safety Measure Act, 2006, effectively.

DNA speaks with citizens and experts to know what they think needs to be done.

VOICES

There are a thousand buildings in F-North ward where I live. The fire brigade can visit some 100 of them randomly. Wherever there are violations of safety norms, that establishment's power and water supply should be cut. If establishments like hospitals commit breaches, they should be heavily fined. Only then will people prioritise fire safety. And something needs to be done about old wiring. 
Nikhil Desai, Matunga resident

The BMC does not take adequate measures to ensure that fire safety procedure is followed by developers during construction. So there are regulatory lapses. Sometimes the quality of the material used is bad. Even if the developer uses inferior electrical equipment and products to save cost, in the end, it is the Mumbai Fire Brigade that has to take action as lives of people are at stake. 
Subhash Gupta, Kurla resident

The year 2018 was full of fire incidents which took a toll on human life as well as property. The reason behind these mishaps may be anything from negligence to violations, but we have to expect some alertness from the fire brigade. Taking lessons from the recent hospital fire, the brigade should undertake awareness drives and ensure that public and private premises instal necessary kits and equipment to fight fire. 
Bhavesh Sharma, Dahisar resident

To minimise fire risk in places such as hospitals and restaurants, the first thing the fire brigade should do is to seek a fire audit report on quarterly basis. This will help them know which establishment is flouting norms. They should also have monthly inspections and surprise visits. A checklist can be drawn and displayed at establishments so even visitors can check if the establishment is complying with all the safety regulations. 
Atif Shaikh, Kalyan

The series of fire incidents in Mumbai in the last couple of days come after the first anniversary of the major blaze at Kamala Mills which claimed several lives. Yet, fire tragedies continue unabated, even at food joints. It is time that the fire brigade impose heavier penalties for non-compliance of fire safety norms, like revoking licenses for commercial establishments. Periodic checks should be conducted by fire brigade at places of high footfalls such as malls, multiplexes and hotels. 
Robin Sharma, Kalbadevi

I do not think that it is the duty of the firefighters alone to ensure there are no untoward incidents ion the city. The government can enforce fire safety requirements it is up to us to follow them. All of us including me tend to neglect fire safety rules. And it is only recent incidents like the blaze at the Marol hospital a few days ago that shake us out our slumber. 
Ashvita Singh, Bhayandar

The state government needs to intervene in the matter. Fire incidents have become a daily affair. If people die, there is hue and cry, otherwise nobody is interested in even checking why the fire broke out. It seems the authorities are waiting for major incidents of fore to occur so they can take some action. It is just how things are. Nothing was done about the crowding at Elphinstone Road station foot overbridge till a stampede killed a lot of people. If this is how we operate, from calamity to calamity, then more people will be dead before our elected representatives and babus wake up to take some action. 
Sandeep Kadam, Kurla

The fire department should be more proactive in reaching out to residents and spread awareness about fire safety. But citizens must participate to improve their own fire safety. Everyone should know what needs to be done in case of fires. Also, the basic courtesy of giving way to a fire truck by stopping or pulling your own vehicle to the side has to be the norm. 
Neil Khopkar, Dadar resident

EXPERT SPEAK

There is gross negligence on the part of the implementing agencies. Reports of a fire audit are never made public. There is a provision for lodging an FIR in case a society or commercial complex has failed to carry out a fire audit within three months of being sent a notice by the Fire Brigade. But there is hardly any effort expended in filing an FIR or taking strict action. The action that is taken by designated officers of each fire station is never made public. If the agencies continue to be apathetic, people will continue to die. 
Anil Galgali, civic activist

The Maharashtra Fire Prevention & Life Safety Measure Act, 2006, has not been implemented. It is after two restaurants caught fire in Kamala Mills compound last year that the agency started enforcing the act. There are provisions that should be implemented at the ground level. Due to poor implementation, not only the common people but also firemen are dying. They have deputed only one fire officer in each ward, even after the Kamala Mills case. A single man cannot look after the whole ward. There is no seriousness in implementing the act. 
Advocate Prakash Devdas, president, Municipal Fire Brigade Official Association