BMC dragging feet on disaster management?

Out of six crisis command centres envisioned after 2005 cloudburst, only one is close to completion

Two years after the BMC received funds to set up six command centres across the city to quickly mobilise fire fighting and disaster management resources in case of an emergency, only one at Vikhroli is nearing completion.


BMC's plans still floating: After the 2005 floods, BMC's resolve to come
up with disaster management centres is yet to see the light of day

The plan provides for such centres to be set up in Borivli, Marol, Byculla, Wadala, Mankhurd and Vikhroli at an estimated cost of Rs 66 crore.

After floods
The plan for these centres began to take shape after the 2005 floods in the city and funds for the same were sanctioned in 2008. "It has been almost two years since the budget was sanctioned. The centres should have been completed by now as emergencies can come up any time," said a BMC official.

Chief Fire Officer Uday Tatkare said, "The command centre at Vikhroli is ready with only internal work left and the ones at Byculla and Wadala will be complete in 2-3 months' time."

Reasons for delay
Tatkare said the Marol center would take some time as the existing building was demolished for the work to begin. "The construction of the buildings is taking time but all of them may be complete by the end of this year. We can then put some of our resources there to initiate action during emergencies," he added.

Tatkare also informed that most of the fire brigade's resources were concentrated in the Byculla and Marol fire stations due to lack of space to put more fire stations in place. This, in turn, results in fire brigade vehicles getting stuck in traffic and wasting precious time.

"The centres would help fight disasters better. Although there are 33 fire stations in the city, we require more but don't have land for them. The centres will have deputy fire officers in charge who are capable of handling emergency situations," added Tatkare.