Following the death of four-year-old Vikram Kumar, after an ornamental stone pillar collapsed on him on Monday, the authorities have gone for a comprehensive safety audit of Lalbagh by the New Year.
For the purposes of the audit, the 240-acre Lalbagh has been divided into three zones and three special teams of five officials each have been formed to carry out the audit.
They will carry out a detailed survey of dangerous trees, sitting benches, old buildings, stone structures, bad pavements and other such safety hazards.
The teams will also identify other potential threats like bees and snakes in the park area, that are potential safety threats.
It can be recalled that a seven-year-old girl was killed in a bee attack in August 2015.
The department has also formed a special tree surgery team, that will survey all trees in the park area and identify trees for pruning, treatment or even felling based on the health of these trees.
M. Jagadish, Joint Director, Parks, Horticulture Department, said that the audit report would be submitted by December 31 and the department would start action on the issues raised from New Year.
Meanwhile, Lalbagh authorities on Wednesday cleared stone and cement structures that had developed issues.
They even cleared some dustbins in the park area.
Lalbagh authorities have also installed a new first-aid tools vending machine at Glass House on Wednesday. Anybody can insert coins and collect first-aid items for minor injuries at the machine.
The park area had a total of 25 free first-aid boxes at strategic locations, to which 10 more were added on Wednesday.
₹5 lakh compensation to family
The Horticulture Department has announced a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh for the family of Vikram Kumar who was killed in an accident at Lal Bagh on Monday. Horticulture Minister S.S. Mallikarjun will hand over the compensation to the deceased’s family on Thursday, sources said.
However, the Department has not launched any departmental inquiry to fix responsibility for the tragedy.
The police too have not booked the authorities responsible for causing death due to negligence under Section 304A of Indian Penal Code, but are probing only filing a report of unnatural death.
