Dharavi Is Playing With Fire — Literally: Frequent Blazes, Cylinder Explosions Highlight Life-Threatening Risks Amid Redevelopment Delay

Mumbai: Scores of Dharavikars had a lucky escape a month ago when, at least, 20 cylinders mounted on a stationary truck exploded, leading to a massive fire that raged for several hours. The incident occurred near Nature Park around 10 pm, but residents of nearby shanties and buildings could return home only past 2 am.

One such resident, Salim Agwan, whose house is located barely 200 feet from the spot, said it was a “miracle” that nobody died.

Dharavi is no stranger to man-made disasters. In May last year, six people suffered burn injuries after a fire broke out at a furniture manufacturing unit. Ever-growing illegal structures, shanties built with flammable materials, and numerous units that store and use flammable materials such as gas cylinders pose an open invitation to disaster.

Adding to the woes are the narrow alleys — where even two people cannot walk side-by-side — trash spillovers, and severe congestion, which hinder firefighters’ access to trouble spots.

A senior firefighter, who has been part of rescue teams in Dharavi on multiple occasions, said firemen often have to climb the roofs of shanties or use alternative methods to reach the fire site.

A major fire in Dharavi in February 2023, which gutted, at least, 100 small garment factories, bakeries, godowns, and hutments in Kamala Nagar and Shahu Nagar, is now being cited within the Fire Department as a case study. While no injuries or casualties were reported, those affected incurred losses of more than Rs 6 crore.

Ironically, the spot where the fire was first reported — around 4.30 am — was very close to the Dharavi fire station. Yet, firemen found it so difficult to navigate the congested area that it took them another ten hours to douse the flames.

The then Chief Fire Officer, Sanjay Manjrekar, who monitored the operations, was vocal about the many challenges faced by firemen in Dharavi. “There was no road to reach the spot, due to which the blaze escalated and reached Level 3,” Manjrekar had said.

“A couple of cylinders also burst, aggravating the fire. Our men had to climb roofs and douse the fire from above. Then they entered the area and reached the site through a house gully,” he said.

Mohammad Naim, whose rental accommodation in a three-storey structure was burned down in that fire, had undergone angioplasty a few days before the incident. He ran out barefoot with his family when the fire started; his medical reports, medicines, and belongings were lost in the blaze.

Such regular brushes with tragedy are among the many reasons why the ongoing redevelopment project in Dharavi is expected to improve the quality of life. As one senior firefighter sums up: “We pray and rush to the spot when there is an emergency call in Dharavi.”

Deadly Fires:

• On February 1, 2023, a 62-year-old woman was killed in a fire that spread through small cloth units operating in Dharavi.

• In June 2023, 32 persons, including a one-month-old boy, were injured after a fire erupted in the seven-storey Shama building on 90-ft road in Dharavi. Eighty people were rescued.