Pune civic body to acquire five new firefighting vehicles for high-rises

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will purchase five firefighting vehicles to tackle fire incidents at high-rises. The vehicles will be stationed at stations located in areas with high concentration of tall buildings.

Despite PMC granting permission for construction of high-rise buildings, the fire department is facing challenges in ensuring regular maintenance of firefighting systems at these structures. According to the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006, it is the responsibility of the building owner or occupier to maintain fire safety. Once a building receives a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the fire department, the owner must conduct bi-annual audits and submit reports to ensure the firefighting system is functioning.

Since 2016, when the civic body first started permitting high-rise structures, 44 proposals have been approved, covering 74 towers. Of these, 42 towers exceed 100 metres in height.

In January 2024, the PMC high-rise committee chaired by municipal commissioner Vikram Kumar sanctioned a proposal of 160.45-metre high-rise (habitable 42 floors, excluding parking) at Bopodi. The project will become the tallest building in Pune once ready.

Majority of high-rises is concentrated in Kharadi, Wadgaonsheri, Baner, and Balewadi, areas known for having many IT companies. According to fire brigade officials, the greatest challenges in fighting fires in high-rise buildings are its height and wind speed.

Prabhakar Umratkar, a fire department official, said, “Each vehicle will cost around ₹2.15 crore. A tender has been issued for the purchase, and the vehicles will be stationed at locations such as Baner, Wanowrie, Aundh, Kharadi, and central part of the city. The city has three Bronto vehicles for firefighting and rescue in high-rise buildings. The tallest building in the city is a 90-metre-high commercial complex at Pashan.”

In the last three years, two fire incidents in high-rise buildings — Amanora City (eight floors) and eleventh floor of a building in Mohammadwadi area— have been reported.