The twin city of Pimpri-Chinchwad is grappling with a critical issue of black spots, and the fire brigade officials cannot reach the said location in case of fire emergencies due to narrow roads and haphazard parking. The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has identified as many as 14 such black spots in the city, which are putting lives and property at significant risk during such emergencies.
These black spots are identified in Pimple Gurav Gaothan, Sangvi Gaothan, Dapodi Gaothan, Phugewadi, Kasarwadi, Bhosari Gaothan, Kalewadi, Wakad Gaothan, Pimple Nilakh Gaothan, Walhekarwadi, Chinchwade nagar, Akurdi Gaothan, Otha Scheme and Nigdi Gaothan.
In an alarming incident on November 26, a fire broke out in Anna Bhau Sathe Nagar in the Otha Scheme area in Nigdi. The fire brigade from Pradhikaran station responded swiftly. However, narrow roads and vehicles parked on both sides of the road prevented the fire engine from reaching the site on time. The fire, which started in a refrigerator, could have resulted in a disastrous LPG cylinder explosion. Fortunately, the fire brigade managed to control the blaze within time.
“In several instances, fire engines graze parked vehicles while navigating narrow roads. Instead of cooperating, vehicle owners demand compensation and block the path, causing delays that can cost lives,” said a fire department official requesting anonymity.
Pimpri-Chinchwad has 72 slums, identified as high-risk areas for fire incidents. Narrow lanes, plastic-sheeted roofs, and widespread use of LPG cylinders make these areas vulnerable. Fires in these areas spread rapidly, and fire engines cannot access the densely populated settlements pose a threat.
Rishikant Chipade, fire officer at PCMC, said, the fire brigade department continues to face such challenges.
“The old Gaothan areas and slums have big roads, but they are occupied by vehicles parked illegally. This makes it difficult to reach the location of fire incidents on time. There are also several locations that have narrow roads but huge towers above 24- meters in height. These locations are hard to reach during fire emergencies,” he said.
To address these accessibility issues, PCMC has purchased six fire brigade motorcycles equipped with 40-litre water tanks. However, these bikes have hardly been used for firefighting in the last three years and serve only to clear paths for fire engines. Citizens claim that the investment in these bikes has been of no use.
Shekhar Singh, municipal commissioner, PCMC, said the civic body is aware of the issues and is working on finding a solution towards it.
“The civic body has selected areas in which the parking rules will be implemented. This will help to ease the haphazard illegal parking issues in some of these areas with black spots,” he said.
