An accident at a Sawan Mela in Indira Nagar has raised questions over the safety checks for temporary rides and the agency responsible for certifying them.
The lights of fairs are switched on, tickets are sold and crowds queue up for amusement rides, but who checks what happens before the first passenger takes a seat?
Both were taken to Sushma Hospital for treatment and were reported to be stable. The issue comes ahead of the festive season, when several temporary fairs are expected across Lucknow. Swings, giant wheels and other rides are assembled at temporary sites and used by hundreds of visitors, including children. The accident has raised questions over whether their fitness is physically verified after permission is granted for a fair. The accident has also exposed a lack of clarity over the approval process involving the district administration and Lucknow police. He added that facilities such as a kitchen operating at the fair require clearance from the fire department. However, Lucknow district magistrate Vishak G gave a different account.
Two minor girls, aged 14 and 16, were injured at a Sawan Mela in Sector 8, Indira Nagar, on August 18. The FIR was registered under Sections 289 and 125(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Police initially said a rod from a Ferris wheel fell and struck the girls. Sub-inspector Praful Kumar Yadav has been assigned the investigation, police said. Ghazipur SHO RK Maurya said police grant permission for the fair’s layout and venue but do not approve individual amusement rides or their fitness. Permission for swings and other rides is obtained separately from the district administration, according to him. He told HT that the district administration does not separately grant permission for individual rides and indicated that if Lucknow police permit a fair to operate, they are expected to ensure the necessary checks of such rides.
