Mumbai: Short circuits behind fires at One Avighna and Ghatkopar

The fire at One Avighna Park last week. Pic/Shadab Khan

Faulty electrical systems sparked the recent fires at Currey Road's One Avighna Park and the Vishwas building in Ghatkopar, said officials from the Mumbai Fire Brigade. The findings come at a time when the state government is yet to green-light efforts to make electrical audits mandatory for buildings with four storeys or more.

On December 15, a fire broke out at the 61-storey One Avighna Park, the second such mishap in 14 months in the plush tower. The blaze gutted a flat on the 22nd floor in the B-wing. No one was injured in the incident.

"We found that the room where the fire started had an automatic electric system. There are both possibilities - an overburdened electric system or faulty wires - that triggered the blaze. The room was well furnished with wooden furniture and the fire spread rapidly," said an official from the Mumbai Fire Brigade. In October 2022, a fire had swept through a flat on the 19th floor. A security guard had lost his life in the accident.

Firefighters douse the blaze at a building near Parakh Hospital in Ghatkopar East on December 17

On December 17, one person died after a fire broke out at Vishwas building near Parakh Hospital in Ghatkopar. The incident also left two persons critical. "The preliminary inspection shows the fire started from an electric meter box. The detailed report is yet to come," said a fire official.

On average, 16 fires are reported in Mumbai daily, of which 11 are caused by electrical failures. Of the 48,434 fires in the city between 2008 and 2018, official data shows, short circuits caused 32,516 fires. Short circuits occur due to reasons like bad maintenance, poor quality of materials and overloading.

Also Read: In Photos: Fire breaks out at One Avighna Park in Currey Road

Just like fire audits which look into aspects like passage space, hurdle-free staircases, and the status of the fire-fighting system, an electrical audit can give an idea of the health of a building's electrical systems. However, the fire brigade does not have the power to conduct such audits - it is vested in the chief electrical inspector (CEI) under the Industries, Energy and Labour Department.

In January 2022, the BMC had met state officials insisting on regular inspections of electrical installations of buildings. "We haven't received any correspondence from the CEI yet, but the policy may be implemented soon which is a necessity in the city," said Sanjay Manjarekar, chief fire officer of Mumbai Fire Brigade.

"Making a policy is a complex task. We submitted the draft in June to the Law and Judiciary Department for scrutiny and the committee is working on war footing. It is in the final stage. As per the draft, all buildings will have electrical audits every three years. The inspection will be carried out by our department," said Dinesh Khonde, CEI. After the scrutiny and final draft, it will be submitted to the state government for approval.

Smart devices for new towers

For better monitoring of electrical systems, the BMC will make it mandatory for installation of internet of things (IoT)-based microcontroller devices in all new high-rises. "Since One Avighna Park was built before 2015, it wasn't applicable to the building. But considering the two fires in a span of 14 months, we are considering recommending it [IoT-based electrical system] to them at the time of the next fire audit," said Manjarekar. The cost has to be borned by the builder and
house owners.