Mumbai: Citing serious gaps in emergency response during the recent gas tanker accident on Mumbai-Pune Expressway, state cultural affairs and Mumbai suburban guardian minister Ashish Shelar on Friday called for a robust and future-ready emergency management mechanism for vital road projects in the city such as the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, the Versova-Bandra Sea Link and the Coastal Road.
In a letter to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Shelar pressed for urgent construction of a helipad at Bandra Reclamation, saying adequate space was available at the location.
“The helipad would enable swift evacuation of the injured via air ambulance during emergencies on the Coastal Road and the Sea Link. It would also facilitate rapid access to Lilavati Hospital and other major hospitals in the vicinity,” Shelar stated in the letter.
The helipad would significantly improve coordination between disaster management agencies such as the police, fire brigade, and disaster response forces, and strengthen the city’s long-term emergency preparedness, the minister claimed.
“In the event of accidents, fires or natural disasters on these critical corridors, providing an immediate and effective response could pose a major challenge. Particularly, since the Coastal Road includes underground tunnels and over-sea stretches, rapid evacuation of the injured, swift movement of security forces and timely access for emergency services could become extremely difficult,” Shelar said in the letter.