GUWAHATI, Sept 19 - The Kamrup (Metro) district administration today directed all the Durga Puja committees in the city to secure safety certificates from departments concerned while constructing decorative structures and said that failure to do so would invite legal action.
�Most of the Durga Puja committees in and around Guwahati are constructing decorative structures for making the puja pandals attractive without any structural safety audit of these structures. At any instant these unsafe erections may collapse and lead to accidents due to adverse weather conditions and due to large congregation of public during the puja days causing loss of life and property,� said Kamrup (M) Deputy Commissioner Dr M Angamuthu.
He said that all the puja committees have been directed to construct such structures adhering to proper structural safety norms of competent authorities like PWD (Buildings), Fire and Emergency Services, GMC, Pollution Control Board and GMDA and to acquire safety certificates from these departments before constructing such structures.
�If a puja committee is found constructing such structures without proper vetting and safety certification from the competent authorities, appropriate legal actions will be initiated against its president and secretary,� said the DC.
With regard to construction of pandals on some roads and bye-lanes, Dr Angamuthu said that the administration would look into the matter.
Meanwhile, with Durga Puja round the corner, the district administration has issued an order to the departments concerned to ensure that all streetlights in the city are made functional by September 23.
Deputy Commissioner Dr Angamuthu has constituted six teams which have been asked to examine all the streetlights of Guwahati and make them functional before the deadline.
The teams comprise officials from the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd (APDCL), PWD (Roads) and City Police.
Dr Angamuthu has also asked the teams to examine the traffic signals of the city which are out of order and have those repaired.
Directions have also been issued to examine the high mast lights at the 39 points of the city.
The DC has ordered Forest officials to undertake pruning exercise along the riverfront by September 23. A detailed action taken report will be submitted to the Guwahati Development Department (GDD) Minister once the entire exercise is over.
