Pranav Birje | Senior Correspondent
– Former MP Gopal Shetty congratulates the winning fire brigade players
Gopal Shetty urges higher FSI for open plots under BMC jurisdiction to train more players
Mumbai: Members of the Mumbai Fire Brigade have brought glory to the city by winning a string of medals at the ‘World Police and Fire Games 2025’ held in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Their achievements showcased India’s growing excellence in global sports and reaffirmed the country’s deep commitment, discipline, and dedication toward athletics.
A total of six members from the Mumbai Fire Brigade—Govind Bijle, Ekta Golkar, Shweta Davane, Siddhi Sonawane, and Unnati Chilkewar—participated in this world-class sporting event. The team was led by Deputy Chief Fire Officer Dr. Deepak Ghosh. They made a strong start on the very first day of the competition and secured two silver and two bronze medals.
Former Member of Parliament from North Mumbai, Gopal Shetty, extended his heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all Indian winners, especially the players from Mumbai Fire Brigade.
This global sporting event witnessed participation from 5,000 athletes representing 70 countries. India was represented by 47 fire brigade athletes, including the six from Mumbai who brought pride to ‘Aapli Mumbai’ with their medal-winning performance.
In total, Indian athletes have so far won 588 medals at the competition, including 280 gold, 178 silver, and 130 bronze medals.
While congratulating the victorious members of the Mumbai Fire Brigade, public representative Gopal Shetty reiterated his long-standing demand: approval should be granted for enhanced Floor Space Index (FSI) on open plots under BMC’s jurisdiction to enable the development of more sports grounds and the nurturing of more players.
He stated that in the 2034 DCPR (Development Control and Promotion Regulations), the FSI allowance for open lands under BMC’s control designated for sports facilities has been reduced to zero, which is both unfortunate and surprising. Previously, there was a provision of 15% additional FSI on 10% land usage for sports projects. With this relaxation now removed, the possibilities for new sports infrastructure have diminished.
In today’s scenario, where FSI is being doubled in most areas, it becomes necessary to increase FSI for sports grounds under the BMC as well. Shetty proposed increasing the current 15% FSI allowance to 30%, calling it a need of the hour.
In conclusion, Gopal Shetty emphasized that enhanced FSI approval for sports projects on open plots under BMC’s control would ensure more playing spaces for the upcoming generations in Mumbai. He welcomed the decision allowing development on reserved plots by private developers using the 70:30 ratio model and urged that the same progressive mindset be applied when considering additional FSI for sports facilities on BMC-owned lands.