VIJAYAWADA : In a bid to keep vigil on the amusement rides in the exhibitions dotting the city this summer, the district administration along with Vijayawada Municipal Corporation is planning to conduct surprise inspections to check compliance of rules and regulations.
The officials have taken this step keeping in view of people’s safety, particularly children who are fond of taking amusement rides.
As of now, Handloom Handicraft Fun Fair Summer Exhibition at Satavahana College Grounds and other trade fair at Patamata Rythu Bazar are thrown open to the public. Children and families in large numbers are thronging the seasonal hangout places. However, the organisers of All-India Industrial and Agricultural Society members are yet to make an announcement regarding its functioning.
According to VMC officials, the exhibition organisers should procure licence from the civic body for running the giant wheel and other rides at the exhibition venues. On receiving the application for licence, the revenue officers visit the exhibition venue to check if the organisers have taken the required security measures to run the amusement rides. Later, licences will be issued by the civic body officials.
Licence, NOC must to run amusement rides
The organisers should also have to obtain a no objection certificate (NOC) from the Fire Safety Department to run the amusement rides like giant wheel and columbus at the exhibition.
“The application for NOC should be submitted at the nearest fire station and the district fire officer is the NOC issuing authority. In case of any variation from the prescribed safety standards, the NOC will not be issued,” said a senior fire safety official.
“Special teams will conduct surprise inspections in the coming days to check if they comply with safety standards. If any violation is noticed, we will take stern action that may come to a level of stopping or closing a pavilion, ride or any other business,” said a VMC official on condition of anonymity. “We will keep more vigil this time to check whether the operators are adhering to safety standards,” he added.
However, the exhibition organisers said that they have taken necessary safety precautions this time to ensure safety and security of the visitors for all the rides.
“We have ironed out the technical glitches that have caused occasional interruptions in the smooth rides,” said K Nagamalleswara Rao, secretary at summer exhibition on Satavahana College Grounds.
In equipment like the giant wheel, even factors like inclination and space between two cars have much significance, he said and added that children below five years, and patients suffering from epilepsy are not allowed to take rides like giant wheel.