City second in country to get 90-m aerial ladder

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommaiah and Home Minister Araga Gnanendra inaugurate a 90 m aerial platform ladder at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Thursday)

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: After Mumbai, Bengaluru became the second city in the country to procure a 90-metre aerial ladder platform system for its Fire and Emergency Services, with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai dedicating it to the department on Thursday.

Calling it the "biggest strength" for the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, the CM said the 90-metre aerial ladder platform is an essential facility and it will work as a "real friend in need". Highlighting the importance of fire safety and its rules, he said it was essential for the Department of Fire and Emergency Services to reach high-rise buildings during an emergency.

"The capacity and capability to save lives of people in fire mishaps and to check fire accidents have increased...in the whole country. After Mumbai, only Bengaluru has a 90-metre aerial ladder platform to rescue people stuck in a high-rise building during a fire mishaps," he added.

According to an official release, efforts were made to procure the aerial ladder platform in the last two-anda-half years and it was when Bommai was the home minister that the grants were released, but it got delayed due to Covid-19 and production problems.

The new ladder will be put to use in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits, it added.