India: Why Mumbai fire brigade gets one structural collapse call each day

By Chaitanya Mallapur

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There are now more than 14,000 buildings in Mumbai that are over 50 years old and which, due to age-related instability and lack of maintenance, are at risk of collapse. One such building collapsed on July 16 in Dongri, south Mumbai leaving 14 dead and nine injured, as we reported on July 16.

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A 2018 disaster management plan of the Mumbai municipal corporation had flagged these buildings, then 16,104, for vulnerability to collapse. “Apart from the legal hurdles, paucity of funds has slowed down the work of Mumbai Repairs Board considerably,” the document states. “House collapse is therefore a regular phenomenon and in the absence of adequate ‘transit’ accommodation and emergency shelters become a major requirement in the event of house collapse."

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Mumbai is prone to natural and man-made calamities such as floods; tree falls; structural collapses; landslides; fires in slums, buildings, highrises, industrial units and transport vehicles; and even terrorist attacks. The city’s vertical growth in the form of highrises and skyscrapers to accommodate its growing population has happened with improper planning and inadequate safety measures, experts say.

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Too many of these buildings do not have proper evacuation plans. “Many people die due to smoke and less due to fire. So to prevent that you need to have a proper evacuation plan and ways,” said M V Deshmukh, director, government affairs, Fire Safe India Foundation and a former fire adviser to the government of Maharashtra. Many high rises in Mumbai have a single staircase whereas any building above 15 metres is required to have two. "People at large do not know and they have no choice," he said, "When you and I go to buy a flat we start number one with the budget, number two with the basic amenities like parking, gym, swimming pool. But people don't bother whether this building is safe."

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