Being suspended 150 feet above the ground for almost three hours is a terrifying experience by any measure — more so when it is a malfunction on an amusement park ride that flips riders upside down at that height.
On May 26, when one such amusement park ride came to an abrupt halt in Chennai, uncertainty and fear gripped onlookers and riders. While anxious and concerned visitors — especially parents and relatives of the 15 children who were on board — watched helplessly, those stranded had terrifying thoughts. ‘Would the ride drop down? Had the system been shut down? Is help coming our way?’ were the many questions that ran past their heads, one of them told the media after being rescued by the TN Fire and Rescue Services personnel.
In the wake of the incident, CE spoke to Chennai residents, who recently visited amusement parks in the city and asked about their experiences. What emerged were a range of concerns, stemming from both past experiences and their fears at present.
Mohini* recollects her recent experience at one of the three functional amusement parks in the city. “The first ride I sat on was ‘The Columbus’ (shaped like a boat suspended in air like a pendulum) and after that, I didn’t want to get on any other ride. Firstly, there were no rods or seatbelts for protection. I had to hold on to the front seat’s backrest and that is a major safety concern. Secondly, the ride had a fresh coat of paint that hadn’t dried. It was sticking to my hand and clothes. It seemed as though they were trying to hide the rust, not to mention, it squeaked the whole time,” she avers.
Nithya P shares a similar experience from the same venue. “When I boarded one of the giant wheel’s cabins, there was a rust hole. My hand could go through it,” she says, adding she refrained from boarding any other ride.
The park that both Mohini and Nithya visited is marketed as a ‘budget amusement park’ on social media platforms. With no entry fee, and nominal charges for the rides, it attracts large crowds in the evenings, especially since it sits close to a beach.
Swathi A, who visited one of the more popular amusement parks in May, says that she didn’t feel safe and confident in many of the rides since the seatbelts didn’t have adjustable straps. “Not in all the rides, but in a noticeable number of them, the seatbelts were made for a mid-sized body with no adjusting options. I couldn’t strap myself to those rides tightly because of my body type,” she explains.
A similar concern was flagged by Shrihari S, a college student, too, after watching his friend undergo the same ordeal. “He has a healthier body and the seatbelts were so tight for him that he kept complaining,” he shares.
An amusement park enthusiast who requested anonymity sheds light on how a couple of big rides in India have been relocated from elsewhere in the world. “Relocation is not bad per se. Rides, specifically roller coasters, that have been relocated, would have been left untouched for years and it takes a lot of work and effort to check for damages, and fix them properly. If the park operator cuts corners in this stage and fails to catch structural flaws, it can lead to issues at some future date,” he informs.
Not making splashes
Concerns for most people who visit water parks centre around excessive chlorine levels — which can cause eye irritation, give out strong chemical odours, and could potentially cause respiratory discomfort. Vanisri D, who visited a water park in the city, reports experiencing excessive skin damage. “I spent a lot of time in the water and that could be the reason but from the water’s smell, it was evident that they had mixed chemicals,” she shares.
Shrihari also reports that the water, especially in the children’s pool, had foamed up, was cloudy, and white. These are signs of improper pH balance or chlorine levels in the water.
Meanwhile, Nithya notes that at the amusement park she visited, the dysfunctional water fountain had stagnant algae-green water, making it “a perfect spot for mosquito breeding.”
Barring the water, minor damages on water slides are also causing trouble. Subhiksha V, a parent, shares, “A few years ago, I sustained a painful cut on my thigh because a side of the water slide was broken and the edges were sharp. I was coming down the water slide at full speed and when my thigh came in contact with the edge, it cut. I bled for sometime but thankfully, the cut wasn’t too deep,” she says.
Food and hygiene
“Apart from the safety aspect at amusement parks, I refuse to take my child to these places because of the food quality inside. In all the big amusement parks, they don’t allow us to bring our own food and drinks. Only water bottles, that too if we mention that we have children and we are carrying it for them,” Subhiksha cites.
In these parks, a tag is tied around visitors’ hands, indicating what package they have chosen. Since outside food items are barred, people are forced to consume the food available there. If one wishes to exit the premises for lunch, their tags will be cut, restricting their re-entry.
Dr U Harshini tells that she and her family members fell sick after consuming food at an amusement park here. “The hygiene was visibly poor but we were left with no option but to eat there,” she says, and adds, “Most of the items contained food colours and artificial flavours. Since we do not know of the quality of those ingredients they use, it poses a health risk. Git infections caused by bacteria like Salmonella, Shigella, E.coli or viruses like Hepatitis A, Norovirus, and Rotavirus, can lead to acute diarrhoeal disorder and cause gastrointestinal problems.”
Swathi also observes that the sitting areas and tables were not promptly cleared, resulting in a swarm of flies contaminating freshly bought food.
Lack of regulation
Guidelines are aplenty to ensure proper maintenance of the rides and the safety of the customers. For instance, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has guidelines for maintenance, ride design, operation, and safety requirements in water parks. But compliance by amusement parks is voluntary and not mandatory.
Meanwhile, the Guidelines for Registration of Adventure Tourism Operators (2022), published by the Department of Tourism, Government of Tamil Nadu, mandates physical inspections and scrutiny at the time of commencement. But it does not mention clearly the need for inspections while renewing registration (once in three years). Though it hasn’t completely overlooked periodic inspections, the document simply states that “the Director of Tourism can authorise an inspection agency or an Officer appointed by him, to inspect the premises...” and doesn’t mandate the same.
The state’s guidelines also mentions that registrations will be suspended for 60 days when an issue or a “major deficiency” is noticed, allowing time for an inspection, and for the issues to be rectified by the Adventure Tourism Operator. The registration is also cancelled permanently if not rectified.
However, amusement parks in Chennai have historically shut and their registrations cancelled — either temporarily or permanently — after fatal accidents or rides carrying people malfunction. And this is precisely where the issue of public distrust begins to take root. Like Subhiksha says, “Though my child has requested me to take her to amusement parks several times, I have refused to take her. Better safe, than sorry.”
*Name changed