Ludhiana: Several Dussehra fairs sans safety measures; errants to face action: DC

Many of these fairs include giant wheels, merry-go-rounds, food stalls and electrical setups that could pose a danger in the absence of safety precautions

Several Dussehra fairs being held across the city are operating without following basic fire and safety norms, raising concerns about public safety. From Daresi Ground to Rajguru Nagar, and from SBS Nagar to near Westend Mall and Jagraon Bridge, numerous local fairs have been set up ahead of the festivities. However, most of them are functioning without mandatory permissions or safety precautions.

District fire officer Jaswinder Singh has said an inspection of the fairs in the city will be conducted. (Manish/HT)

According to information received from the deputy commissioner’s office, only two organisers have officially taken permission to hold fairs. The rest of the organisers have not sought any approval, nor have they submitted any safety plans to the district administration. Despite hosting large crowds, including children, families and vendors, these fairs have no arrangements for fire extinguishers, emergency exits or crowd control systems.

Many of these fairs include giant wheels, merry-go-rounds, food stalls and electrical setups that could pose a danger in the absence of safety precautions. “There are wires hanging loose near food stalls and rides. If anything goes wrong, there is no one to help,” said Gagandeep Singh, a visitor at a fair in Rajguru Nagar.

Residents have expressed concern about the unregulated functioning of such events. “Thousands of people are visiting these grounds daily. There is no ambulance on standby, no fire safety team and no visible police presence. It’s a serious accident waiting to happen,” said Meena Sharma, a resident of Rajguru Nagar.

A senior official from the district administration confirmed, “Only two applications were received and granted permissions. All other fairs operating in the city are doing so without any approval. We will be issuing notices and inspecting these sites immediately.”

According to an official letter from the state government, organisers have to seek NOCs from the police and fire department but final issuing authority must be taken from the deputy commissioner office.

On being asked regarding the missing fire safety measures at these fairs, district fire officer Jaswinder Singh said, “I have issued a conditional no-objection certificate (NOC) under which these organisers have to maintain all the measures including eight to 10 fire extinguishers and water filled drums at the site. I will conduct inspections at these fairs within a day. Moreover, still a number of fair organisers have failed to take any NOC”.

Deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain said, “I have issued orders in this regard and teams have been formulated to ensure no unauthorise fair is organised. I request the organisers to take the NOC from PWD, police, health and fire departments. The final permission of issuing authority is the district administration. If someone fails to do this, action will be taken against the organisers.”

Social activists have urged the administration to take swift action. “If these fairs are being allowed to run without safety measures, the authorities will be equally responsible in case of any mishap,” said Karanvir Singh, city resident.