THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A primitive giant wheel, similar to the one that claimed a life at Pathanamthitta, has come up at Kanakakunnu as a part of Onam week celebrations and there is no guarantee that another mishap will not occur. It was on September 8 that a five-year-old boy was killed and his sister injured when they fell off the giant wheel cabin which malfunctioned during operation. Soon after the incident occured, the local body and the fire and rescue department distanced themselves from the responsibility of ensuring safety of the giant wheel.
The giant wheel installed on Kanakakunnu premises has no safety belts and has no mechanism that could ensure that the device stop at the time of a mechanical failure. Officials who said that engineers from the mechanical wing of the public works department have visited the giant wheel in city, however, did not give the specific precautions that they have taken to avert a tragedy. “Once the fair begins, the rides will work non-stop to make the moolah,” said M. Haridas, a concerned parent.
“The inclination and all the joints of the giant wheel have to be verified. The operator who runs it claims to be an expert but seems to be unaware of the safety mechanisms of a modern giant wheel.” When contacted, the operator declined to comment on the safety checks on the giant wheel and the merry-go-round. Mayor V.K. Prasanth said power minister Kadakampally Surendran has promised that the PWD will take care of safety. “A mechanical engineer will inspect the rides,” he said. “It is also the responsibility of tourism department to ensure safety.”
