Notice to municipality over amusement park

Petitioner says facility set up without permits, safety norms ignored

February 22, 2017 10:50 pm | Updated February 23, 2017 07:52 am IST - KOCHI

The Kerala High Court on Thursday issued notice to the Aluva municipality on a writ petition seeking a directive not to permit the operation of a temporary amusement park set up on the Aluva Sivarathri Manappuram unless the PWD and the fire force issued an NOC on the structural stability, load bearing capacity, and safety features of the equipment used for rides.

According to the petition filed by M.M. Gireesh, the municipality gave a vast extent of property near the Siva Temple on short-term lease for commercial activities during the Sivarathri season. It also granted permission for setting up a temporary amusement park.

During Sivarathri, lakhs of people, including children, visit Aluva Manappuram to enjoy amusement rides, but the facilities are operated without safety features.

The petitioner said the mechanical devices were old and not properly maintained. On September 8, 2016, a five-year-old boy and his sister died after they were thrown out during a giant wheel ride at a temporary amusement park at Chittar in Pathanamthitta during Onam. It was found that the equipment did not have safety measures. A repeat of such an accident might happen at Aluva Manappuram too.

The petitioner said he was shocked to learn that the rides were being operated without the required licences. No inspection on the structural stability or the load bearing capacity of the equipment is carried out. Inspections are also not done by the electrical inspectorate or the State Pollution Control Board. Though he had given a representation to the municipality, no action had been taken.

Therefore, the petitioner sought a directive from the court banning the operation of rides at Aluva Manappuram.

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