The seven-member high-level panel formed by Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta to probe the recent Kalbadevi fire incident is most likely to suggest the recommendations that have already been mooted by the corporation earlier but not implemented till date. The recommendations include formation of a Fire Act Cell comprising 99 officials and periodic fire audits of more than 3.8 lakh structures in the city. [related-post] Though the idea to set up a Fire Act Cell that would essentially look into administrative duties of the fire brigade was mooted in 2013, it is yet to be formed. According to recent data obtained under the Right to Information Act, of the 6,296 structures inspected by the fire brigade in the last four years, only 138 have complied with audit reports. A senior official from the panel said, “The terms of reference framed for the committee is very restricted. Even if we have to look into long-term measures, these are quite well-known.” The terms of reference for the committee include investigation of the cause of fire and the response thereon, the lacuna in activating and mobilising resources and the long-term measures to be undertaken to ensure fire safety in old buildings, especially in crowded areas. I C Sisodia, who was part of the Merani committee that suggested measures to upgrade the city’s disaster management system, said, “There are enough recommendations made by several committee following every major incident in the city. The point is their implementation where the BMC is severely lacking.” Apart from these two steps, the committee will also be looking into an upgrade of the current standard operating procedure (SOP) undertaken by the fire brigade. According to civic officials, the chief fire officer reaches the incident spot in case of a grade-2 call. The official said, “In a place like Bhiwandi, the chief fire officer can reach the spot.but in a vast city like Mumbai, the fire brigade cannot afford that. What if there are severe fire incidents in four different places at the same time. You need an officer to command and take control of the situation. Therefore, an upgrade of the current SOP is very essential.” The seven-member committee is headed by Additional Municipal Commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee. The committee, which has had two meetings till date, has to submit the report in another two weeks’ time. tanushree.venkatraman@expressindia.com
