Broadway’s long wait for firefighting infrastructure continues despite warnings

Broadway continues to sit on a powder keg, as the busy business centre in Kochi is yet to get proper firefighting infrastructure despite repeated fires.

Not much has been done on the ground to put in place a firefighting mechanism despite the major fire that broke out at Koluthara Bazaar in Broadway in December 2025.

The fire vulnerability of several city areas, including heritage zones, was once again exposed by the major blaze at Fort Kochi’s Koder House last week.

While unauthorised parking and unregulated street vending continue to choke Broadway, proposals to install fire hydrants, a key requirement to tackle any eventuality, remain on paper. With the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) citing practical difficulties in installing hydrants as instructed by the District Collector, the Fire and Rescue Services department has started exploring other options.

“We have been instructed by our department to write to the KWA, requesting it to prepare an estimate for installing fire hydrants at key locations, including Broadway. The plan is to have the facility installed by the KWA, with the Fire and Rescue Services department bearing the cost. It is part of a State-wide plan,” a senior fire officer in the district said. He added that the potential locations include M.G. Road, S.A. Road and Vyttila, with Broadway topping the list.

The KWA, according to sources in the Fire and Rescue Services department, had earlier informed the department that installing hydrants at locations including Broadway would be a futile exercise as its pipelines do not provide round-the-clock water supply. The fire officer, meanwhile, said the idea this time was to connect the hydrants to the KWA’s mainline with an uninterrupted water flow. “Even then, pressure could be a problem. The mainline in city areas may not have the required pressure for firefighting exercises,” a KWA official said.

Sources in the department claimed that almost all shops in the street, especially in Koluthara Bazaar and Mather Bazaar, had installed fire extinguishers and obtained clearance from the Electrical Inspectorate following last year’s major fire. The formal trading community, meanwhile, said only a safety audit could reveal the real picture.

“All major shops in the street have installed the necessary firefighting equipment, and if any is found lacking in facilities, the owners should be sensitised to its seriousness. We have long been demanding that fire preparedness in the street be strengthened. The government has to allocate funds for it. A water storage facility is a must in the area, besides taking steps to clear the paths of unauthorised parking and street vending,” said K.M. John, spokesperson, Kerala Merchants Chamber of Commerce.