If all goes well, removable grill in windows and balcony in high-rise will soon become mandatory in high-rise buildings. Shiv Sena corporator has moved a notice of motion to make provision of removable grills in high-rises to facilitate firemen in their rescue operation. The proposal will be tabled before the civic general body meeting next month.
Firemen often found it difficult to get access to high-rises and rescue people due to fixed window grills. When a fire broke out in the 12th and 13th floor of Crystal Tower in Dadar on August 22, fixed grills posed a big challenge to Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) in its rescue operation.
Citing several incidents where rescue operations were delayed due to fixed grills, Arundhati Dudhwarker, a Shiv Sena corporator from Mahalaxmi, said, "The purpose of the proposal is to make changes in development control regulations (DCR) and make it mandatory to fix removable grills or grills having door options so that firemen can get access inside houses during rescue operation in case fire erupts."
At present, it is not mandatory to fix only removable grills. R Chaudhary, deputy fire officer (technical) said that if removable grills or grills having door facility is made mandatory, it will be of great help in saving people during an emergency.
In April, when a fire broke out in a Girgaon building, a man trapped in bathroom died of suffocation by the time the fireman cut the grill and got access to the room.
Meanwhile, Dilip Lande, a corporator from Kurla has also moved a notice of motion and suggested that the BMC's fire department should be equipped with a drone camera to monitor fire. Lande said that there are high-rises in Mumbai where the 90-metre fire engine cannot reach making it difficult to see the status of the fire.
FIREMAN'S PLIGHT
- When a fire broke out in Crystal Tower in Dadar, fixed grills posed a big challenge to Mumbai Fire Brigade in its rescue operation
- In April, when a fire broke out in a Girgaon building, a man trapped in bathroom died of suffocation by the time firemen cut the grill and got access to the room
