Pune Civic Body To Acquire Five New Firefighting Vehicles For High-Rises
Pune Civic Body To Acquire Five New Firefighting Vehicles For High-Rises
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is set to acquire five new firefighting vehicles to address fire incidents in high-rise buildings. These vehicles will be stationed in areas with a high concentration of tall structures, such as Baner, Wanowrie, Aundh, Kharadi, and the central city.
Despite granting permissions for the construction of high-rise buildings, the PMC fire department faces challenges in ensuring the regular maintenance of firefighting systems in these structures. According to the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006, building owners or occupiers are responsible for maintaining fire safety. Once a no-objection certificate (NOC) is granted by the fire department, the owner must conduct bi-annual audits to ensure the firefighting systems remain functional.
Since 2016, 44 high-rise proposals covering 74 towers have been approved, with 42 towers exceeding 100 meters. The tallest building in Pune, a 160.45-meter high-rise with 42 habitable floors, is under construction in Bopodi and will become the city’s tallest structure once completed.
Prabhakar Umratkar, a fire department official, stated that each new vehicle would cost approximately ₹2.15 crore. The tender for procurement has been issued. Currently, Pune has three Bronto vehicles for high-rise firefighting, the tallest serving a 90-meter commercial complex in Pashan.
In the past three years, two notable fire incidents in high-rises have been reported at Amanora City and Mohammadwadi.
