Mumbai: 70 to 80% fires due to faulty electrics, says BMC

According to the data, over 35,000 calls, out of over 55,000, made to the fire department in the past 10 years were related to short circuits.

The civic body has directed the companies to take preventive and mitigative measures to curb the rising number of short-circuit incidents in the city (Representationl/Express photo by Amit Chakravarty)

Nearly 70 to 80 per cent of the fires in the city happened due to faulty electrical connections, as found by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Keeping the data in mind, the civic body has served notices to gas agencies and electrical supply companies. According to the data, over 35,000 calls, out of over 55,000, made to the fire department in the past 10 years were related to short circuits.

Under Section 30 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the civic body has directed the companies to take preventive and mitigative measures to curb the rising number of short-circuit incidents in the city, along with asking them to periodically inspect electrical installations.

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“The Director, Industrial Safety and Health (DISH), is the controlling and monitoring authority of the distribution of gas in Mumbai. Since there have been repeated incidences of fire due to gas leakage and cylinder blasts, leading to disastrous impact on human lives, it is necessary to take precaution at the earliest,” read the notice.

Under Section 30 of India’s Disaster Management Act, authorities have to keep tabs on vulnerable places and take preventive measures. In December 2018, a fire in 15-storey Sargam Society in Tilak Nagar killed five. Investigation said the cause was a “defective electrical circuit”. Sparks from lighting on a Christmas tree came in contact with an LPG cylinder, said the report. “

Over 35,000 complaints are related to short circuits. Cases of loose and unstructured wiring, tapping electricity through cross-connections is high… that needs to be inspected regularly, for which we have written to power suppliers,” said IA Kundan, additional municipal commissioner.

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