Tech boost to Mumbai Fire Brigade continues; after robots, the department now brings in firefighting drones

The Mumbai Fire Brigade is undergoing significant technological degradation. The brigade will soon acquire firefighter drones that will extinguish blaze at high-rises.

Ajmal Abbas

Updated Oct 4, 2022, 13:05 IST

Representational image.

Photo : PTI

Mumbai: The Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) is actively adopting the latest technologies to improve efficiency in dousing flames. Recently, the Brigade officials said they are mulling buying robots of 'European Standards. Now, the MFB is planning to acquire drones that would help dose the fire at high-rises. The MFB officials held trial of a firefighting drone developed by a group of IITians and directed them to tweak it as per the brigade’s requirement.

The brigade had approached the Department of Aerospace of the Bombay IIT for developing a drone two years back. It wanted the drone to reach up to 250-300 metre and should have a camera that gives an aerial view of the building. The drone should also carry water and spray it at the speed of 300 litres per minute, the officials said. Though the now-developed drone does not have all these requirements, it will be tweaked as per the MFB demands.

The newly-developed firefighting drone can fly up to 50 metres and weighs more than 100 kg. The machine will be upgraded as per the inputs from the brigade before final induction to the MFB.

Recently, the officials said that they are in a process of purchasing modern firefighting robots at an estimated cost of Rs 3.05 crore. The robot the brigade acquired in 2018 developed glitches and now they are planning to get advanced robots of European standards.

Mumbai's civic body, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) allotted Rs 365 crore to the fire brigade in its latest budget. This is 55 percent more than what was allotted to the department in 2021. Out of the total money allotted, Rs 300 crore has been earmarked for technical upgradation of machinery including drones and robots, and Rs 65 crore will be used for the construction of new fire stations.

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