Of the 282 fire calls received by the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) between November 6 and 10am on November 9, 200 or nearly 71% of the calls pertained to fires attributed to firecrackers, according to data from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Given the spike in such incidents, Bombay High Court advocate and activist Faiyaz Alam Shaikh from the Govandi Sangam Welfare Residents Association has served a legal notice on chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, municipal commissioner Ashwini Bhide, Mumbai Fire Brigade chief fire officer Ravindra Ambulgekar, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and the Mumbai Police, alleging serious lapses in fire safety preparedness and enforcement during the festive period. On Sunday alone, the fire brigade received 142 calls, of which 137 were related to firecrackers, the data showed.
The notice seeks to fix executive accountability for what it describes as policy failures, the absence of festive fire safety standard operating procedures (SOPs) and inadequate monitoring of firecracker use, particularly in the vicinity of highrise buildings. In the notice, Shaikh has sought mandatory conduct of Form-B fire safety audits of buildings within seven days. He has also sought accountability over the alleged failure to put in place adequate preventive measures and monitor fire safety compliance, and warned of filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) if the demands are not addressed within the stipulated seven-day period.
It seeks a judicial probe into fire incidents this year purportedly triggered by crackers, and ₹ 50 lakh in ex-gratia compensation for the family of the security guard who died in a fire in an Andheri West highrise on Saturday .
This year’s figures point to a sharp increase in firecracker-related incidents over the previous two years, said chief fire officer Ravindra Ambulgekar. Children must only burst crackers under adult supervision, maintain safe distance, and use long incense sticks to ignite crackers, the civic body said. Meanwhile, the BMC on Monday issued a safety advisory asking citizens to exercise caution, use protective eyewear and footwear and wear cotton clothes while bursting firecrackers.
Citizens have been urged to remain alert and contact the Mumbai Fire Brigade’s emergency helpline 101 in case of a fire or any other emergency. The BMC also warned citizens against attempting to reignite unexploded crackers or directing rockets towards buildings and people.
