Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant has said that Mumbai would soon have one of the highest ladders in the country as a means to strengthen the fire safety system of the state, which has a significant number of high-rise buildings in the city. The issue was raised by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLC Pravin Darekar and others during a half-hour discussion under Rule 92 in the Assembly.
Currently, the Mumbai Fire Brigade possesses ladders up to a height of 94 metres, Samant said. “However, considering the requirements of an international city like Mumbai, the Municipal Corporation will be given appropriate instructions to acquire taller and more advanced ladders. Currently, the country’s tallest ladder, measuring 104 metres, is available in Chennai; efforts will be made to provide Mumbai with ladders featuring even more advanced technology,” he said.
Legislators pointed out that permissions have been granted in Mumbai to construct skyscrapers, which are 100 to 125 floors in height, despite the city not having the capacity to tackle fire incidents at such heights.
Samant stated that modern fire safety systems have been made mandatory in high-rise buildings, including facilities such as fire staircases, fire lifts, sprinkler systems, alarm systems, and fire escapes. Final permissions are granted by the Municipal Corporation and the Fire Brigade only after all these measures are implemented.
He said that as Mumbai is an international city, modern technology will be utilised to make the fire-fighting system more efficient. Samant further mentioned that the state government is focusing on enhancing the capacity of the Fire Brigade to handle emergencies in high-rise buildings.
