Officials say contractors have removed hydrants for maintenance and widening work without taking any permission from departments.
Road repairs in the city have come in the way of fire safety for citizens. The red water hydrants have been removed for road widening and maintenance work. These hydrants are handy for fire department in dousing fire when water tankers are running low.
A recent inspection carried out by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) revealed that road contractors have dismantled the hydrants without seeking permission from either the roads department or the hydraulic department.
“Several instances have come to light when the hydrants have been uprooted to pave way for road cutting or improvement in pavements. The brunt is, in turn, borne by the fire department when tackling a fire,” said an official, fire department.
Hydraulic chief Vinay Deshpande has now written to the roads department to rectify the situation. Deshpande said that the contractors who have removed the hydrants should be punished.
The BMC spends Rs90,927 in fixing a new fire hydrant and Rs70,829 in repairing an existing one. Meanwhile, recent data showed that out of the total hydrants erected by the hydraulic department, only 10% are in a functional state. “A majority of the hydrants’ mouth piece has gone missing. Also, the male piece and the sluice valve are damaged. This has left the meagre existing hydrants non-operational,” a senior official said.
Out of the 10,220 hydrants, 9,172 have been removed. A handful of 1,048 are left on the streets.
The data compiled by the hydraulic department also states that near the Dadar fire station 232 hydrants have gone missing, while in Bandra-Kurla Complex the figure stands at 459. The missing hydrant toll in Kandivli is 646 and in Andheri 304. Meanwhile, officials from the roads department were caught oblivious of the problem. “If this is the case, the hydrants will either be replaced or the contractor will be fined,” said an official from roads department.
Municipal commissioner Subodhkumar had also convened a meeting with officials from the vigilance, hydraulic, roads and fire departments to enquire into the matter.
Chief fire officer Uday Tatkare also admitted to several lacunae in maintenance of hydrants. “The hydraulic department is responsible for fixing and repairing of hydrants. In instances when the water tankers go empty, the hydrants are a great source of help in fire-fighting. The lost hydrants should be replaced at the earliest.”
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