Bhubaneswar: With puja celebrations round the corner, many of the roadside pandals in the capital are attracting huge crowds. However, many of these breathtakingly beautiful and magnificent structures are created without sufficient ventilation.
Most of the puja committees prefer roadside locations for attracting the crowd. But, the availability of limited space at these prominent locations compels the pandal makers to ignore basic safety aspects.
“The biggest issue is that roadside pandals are constructed on limited space. Therefore, they often ignore the basic safety aspects like ventilation and sufficient number of exits. This apart, the pandals on roads often choke the traffic. So, ideally the government has to permit these on grounds or locations away from major roads,” said Piyush Ranjan Rout, urban planner.
Another worry is rain which can play spoilsport during the festival. Fortunately, the capital is expected to experience only moderate rainfall in the coming days.
“So far we are expecting only moderate rainfall in the coming days. There is only little chance for incessant rains,” said SC Sahu, Director, India Meteorological Department, Orissa.
With weather getting unpredictable and considering the experience of cyclonic activities, the state needs to take more safety measures for huge puja pandals. For instance, the Cyclone Phailin in October 2013, not only destroyed the walls of various buildings but also blew aside many puja pandals.
However, the state – as well as the people — often ignores its past and many huge pandals at Rasulgarh, Saheed Nagar, Jharpada and other locations in the city have not considered this issue.
“The pandal makers cannot ignore the safety aspects and the officials have to regularly inspect the pandals for ensuring public safety. Since most of the pandals are using flammable materials, the committees have to take necessary fire safety measures. The government can also publish a bulletin listing the preventive measures to be taken and followed by the committees. The public should also be encouraged to report safety violations to the dedicated officials,” said advocate and human rights activist Gyanendra Kumar Tripathy.
Meanwhile, civic body officials claimed that they have taken the necessary precautions for ensuring a safe puja in the city.
“There will be a regular inspection of the pandals and necessary action will be taken against the violators. This apart, water tankers will also be provided to pandals for ensuring fire safety,” said a top official of BMC.
Jose K Joseph, OP
