Mumbai: Those staying near the Dadar east monorail station have accused the MMRDA and Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) of having produced a false report to get clearance for the station.
The residents of Bhavya Heights, Wadala, had filed a case against the Dadar east monorail station, raising concern over fire safety due to the station’s staircase. The staircase is placed right in front of the gate of the residential building, allegedly leaving no space for a fire vehicle in case of an emergency. Fire officials and the MMRDA had conducted a mock drill earlier this month after directives from the Bombay High Court.
“In their mock drill report, the fire officials mentioned the fact that the drill was not conducted from the front opening of the building but from the northern corner. It was not feasible from the frontage as the staircase left only 1.5m for the vehicle to enter,” said Mahesh Kumar, secretary, Bhavya Heights. “I will file an objection in court against the faulty report,” he said.
Dadar east station falls under the second phase of the monorail project i.e. Wadala to Jacob Circle. The residents of Bhavya Heights had taken the matter to court in July this year after which the court directed the MMRDA to shift the exit staircase.
“The court wants to know whether a fire engine can reach the premises and whether that has been fulfilled during the mock drill. The residents have raised this debate since they want to eliminate the staircase,” said K.V. Hirawale, deputy fire officer, MFB.
