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By:

Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 9:59:04 pm

Safety First

The death of two people and injuries to five others after a 22-foot Ganesh idol collapsed during its arrival ceremony in Mumbai is a deeply disturbing accident. It is particularly unfortunate that such an incident should occur barely three weeks before Ganeshotsav begins on September 14. A festival that is synonymous with devotion, community and celebration must not begin under such a gloomy shadow. The incident took place in Bhuleshwar, as the idol of Bhuleshwaracha Raja was being...

Safety First

The death of two people and injuries to five others after a 22-foot Ganesh idol collapsed during its arrival ceremony in Mumbai is a deeply disturbing accident. It is particularly unfortunate that such an incident should occur barely three weeks before Ganeshotsav begins on September 14. A festival that is synonymous with devotion, community and celebration must not begin under such a gloomy shadow. The incident took place in Bhuleshwar, as the idol of Bhuleshwaracha Raja was being transported from Byculla to its pandal. Preliminary information points to the unravelling of loose nuts and bolts in the idol’s supporting frame. Whatever the final findings of the investigation, the fact remains that a structure weighing many tonnes and being moved through a crowded urban neighbourhood cannot be allowed to become a lethal hazard. The prompt mobilisation of the Mumbai Fire Brigade, Mumbai Police, traffic police, 108 ambulance service and civic ward staff deserves recognition. But emergency response, however efficient, is no substitute for prevention. By the time emergency services arrive, lives may already have been lost. That is the lesson Mumbai and Maharashtra must absorb before the festival begins. Ganeshotsav is among the biggest public celebrations in the state. Its arrival processions draw enormous crowds, with towering idols, decorated vehicles, music, electrical installations and devotees converging on narrow streets. The scale of the celebrations has grown dramatically, but safety practices must grow with it. Every Ganesh pandal preparing for this year’s festival should treat structural safety as seriously as religious and logistical arrangements. Frames, fasteners, lifting equipment, transport vehicles and securing mechanisms must be inspected by competent personnel before an idol is moved. Organisers should not assume that a structure is safe simply because it has been used before. A single loose bolt can have catastrophic consequences. The authorities, too, cannot leave safety entirely to organisers. Civic agencies should conduct systematic inspections of large idols and their transportation arrangements, particularly where processions pass through densely populated areas. Traffic management, crowd control, overhead electrical infrastructure and emergency access routes need to be planned in advance. Safety checks should be mandatory, documented and meaningful, not just a box-ticking exercise. There is still time to act. The accident should be treated not merely as an isolated mishap but as a warning. Maharashtra has barely three weeks to ensure that every major pandal and procession has robust safety protocols in place. Ganeshotsav should begin with faith, excitement and the unmistakable sense of a city coming together and not with the memory of preventable deaths. The best tribute to those who lost their lives in Bhuleshwar would be to ensure that no family has to suffer such grief during the celebrations ahead.

India sends 80 NDRF personnel to quake-hit Myanmar

  • PTI
  • Mar 29, 2025
  • 1 min read

New Delhi: India is sending a contingent of 80 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel for relief and rescue works in earthquake-hit Myanmar, officials here said Saturday.


The personnel of the federal disaster contingency force are being deployed under 'Operation Brahma' with quake rescue equipment like strong concrete cutters, drill machines, hammers etc. to provide succour to the neighbouring country.


"A team of 80 NDRF personnel are being airlifted to Myanmar onboard two IAF sorties from Hindon in Ghaziabad. The teams are expected to reach by Saturday evening," an official told PTI.


Commandant P K Tiwary of the 8th NDRF battalion based in Ghaziabad near Delhi will lead the USAR (Urban Search And Rescue) team.


The team is also taking along rescue dogs for the collapsed structure search and rescue operation being undertaken as per International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) norms, the official said.


Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand were rocked by high-intensity earthquake on Friday, destroying buildings, bridges and other structures. At least 1,002 people were reportedly killed in Myanmar.


India has deployed NDRF abroad on two previous occasions -- during the 2015 Nepal earthquake and the 2023 Turkiye quake.


About 15 tonnes of relief material was sent by India on Saturday to the Myanmarese city of Yangon on a C130J military transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF).


Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed concern over the devastating earthquake and said India stands ready to offer all possible assistance to the two countries.


India shares a 1,643-km-long border with Myanmar on the eastern side.

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