The K-West ward of the BMC has initiated the demolition of illegal structures on Chitrakoot Grounds, freeing up crucial space reserved for a fire station
Dhaval Shah from the Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens Association said that there has been a reservation in the BMC’s Development Plan for a fire station since 1991. Sawarkar said he is now pursuing the authorities to expedite the process of developing the fire station so that construction can begin at the earliest.
Local BJP corporator Rupesh Sawarkar said he had been pursuing the issue since his election earlier this year. He said he found that the encroachments had also extended onto a portion of the land reserved for the proposed fire station and had been urging the civic authorities to act. Monday’s demolition, Sawarkar said, takes the locality “one step closer” to getting a full-fledged fire station. “The land is being freely used for wedding functions, film shoots and turf cricket activities through lease arrangements, leading to financial irregularities,” said Sawarkar. With massive skyscrapers in the making, fire safety must be a top priority,” he said, adding that the absence of a nearby fire station has affected emergency response times in the area, resulting in delays during fire incidents and increasing the risk of loss of life and property.
The area currently lacks one, a concern given the high-density residential belt along Lokhandwala and Link Road. “The BMC should continue the momentum and make it a reality as lakhs of Versova Assembly residents need it.